Water ban intensifies amid near-drought conditions

Canton residents are being asked to make a big, collective sacrifice this summer when it comes to outdoor water usage per order of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

While a general prohibition on all nonessential daytime use has been in effect in the town since May 1, the Canton Water Division recently announced further restrictions for usage during off-peak hours.

Under the new order, which is in effect now through September 30, use of nonessential outdoor water is limited to two days per week and only during the early morning or evening hours — either before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.

Among the uses that are subject to the restrictions are watering of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems; washing of vehicles; or washing of building exteriors or paved surfaces, such as driveways or parking lots.

Uses that are still permitted include irrigation of parks and recreation fields (before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.); irrigation of gardens, flowers and ornamental plants with a hand-held hose or drip system; and irrigation of lawns with a hand-held hose only.

Dennis Morton, water/sewer supervisor for the town of Canton, emphasized that the restrictions are indeed mandatory and outdoor water use will be monitored by his staff.

“We’re out and about all day long,” Morton said. “If we see somebody [violating the restriction] then we’ll go and ask them to turn off their water. If nobody is home then we will actually go and shut it off, or if it’s an automatic sprinkler system then we may leave a note on their door asking them to contact us.”

Morton said the town has no specific penalties in place for those who violate the order, although they could implement some if necessary. However, they fully expect residents to be cooperative and adhere to the restrictions; besides, he said, the middle of the day is not really a good time to water a lawn anyway.

According to Ed Coletta, spokesman for MassDEP, water restrictions are fairly commonplace in Massachusetts during the summer months and are implemented by the individual communities in an effort to comply with the terms of their state water withdrawal permits.

“These types of more restrictive requirements are put in place because you want to make sure you are reducing the amount of water you are pulling out of the environment,” he said.

Coletta said the permit also puts restrictions on the number of gallons of water that can be used “per capita per day” and Canton “has had issues in the past with meeting these restrictions,” although it is not alone in that regard.

In fact, of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts, 94 currently have mandatory water restrictions in place, including a wide swath of towns in the I-495 belt. The south shore, interestingly, has relatively few communities with water bans, and only one of the eight towns bordering Canton has a mandatory ban (Sharon). Two others, Westwood and Dedham, have voluntary bans in place.

Coletta said the region is currently experiencing near-drought conditions and water levels, as a result, are relatively low. He noted that the present conditions are more typically seen in August or September after a “long, hot summer.”

According to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor — a weekly map of drought conditions produced jointly by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Drought Mitigation Center — all of southeastern Massachusetts is in the “abnormally dry” category, while areas north of Boston and in central Massachusetts are currently experiencing a “moderate drought.”

The latest streamflow data from the U.S. Geological Survey paints a similarly concerning picture, with the Neponset River in Canton currently in the 19th percentile, which is “below normal.” Just downstream in Norwood, streamflow is in the fourth percentile and “much below normal,” according to the USGS.

For a complete list of towns with water bans in place, visit mass.gov/eea. For questions on the Canton ban, call the Water Division at 781-821-5017.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jun 30 2016. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.