Water bans become more common in Massachusetts as drought worsens
PEMBROKE - Towns in the Boston area are running low on water. The signs of drought are just about everywhere - front lawns are torched, reservoirs are low, and the lack of rain is forcing more towns and cities to impose water bans.
"We are at a critical stage where we need people to conserve. No outdoor water whatsoever," said Pembroke Town Manager Bill Chenard. "We can pump about 1.8 million gallons a day. We have tanks that store 1.55 million gallons a day, but any time you exceed the 1.6 to 1.8, you're drawing down those tanks. When those tanks come down, you start to lose pressure in your system."
In Natick, horticulturalist and WBZ-TV meteorologist Dave Epstein sees plants drying out and leaves turning. He said it's important to follow your town's water ban while protecting your investment.
A quick little primer on watering. Our soil has now become hydrophobic. This means it will repel water. You have to water much slower when it gets to this point otherwise the water will just run off and be useless. #drought #weatherwisdom #horticulture #gardening pic.twitter.com/itzqT2EimA
— Dave Epstein (@growingwisdom) July 26, 2022
"Here in Natick, we can water a certain number of days. And on those days, if you can water, you want to water early. I'm up at 4:30, 5 o'clock in the morning watering for those four hours between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m.," Epstein said. He added that during COVID, many homeowners invested a lot of money in landscaping their homes. Now, the challenge is keeping everything alive.
Shanna Hatch in Pembroke agreed. " I have a lot of plants on the deck and around the yard, and they're all shriveling up to nothing," she said.
Burlington Department of Public Works Director John Sanchez said The Mill Pond Reservoir is extremely low. "This is one of the worst years we've had in a while," he said. "Normally, the island is an island, and now it's more like a peninsula. You can actually walk to it."
In some towns, like Pembroke, some homeowners are on a well system, so water bans do not apply to them. However, all those on town water must adhere to local water restrictions or face a fine.
"It's really critical. We want to make sure we have water in case of a fire, so they can hook up to a fire hydrant, so please turn it off," Chenard said.