Map shows where Massachusetts residents are asked to "aggressively reduce" water use due to drought
BOSTON - Drought conditions have reached significant or critical levels in much of Massachusetts, state officials said Thursday.
Energy and Environmental Affairs Sec. Rebecca Tepper declared Worcester, Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties to be in a Level 3 - critical drought. The rest of the state, aside from Cape Cod & The Islands, are in a Level 2 - significant drought, Tepper said.
"After more than a month of nearly no rain and devastating wildfires, Massachusetts is clearly experiencing significant drought conditions," Tepper said in a statement.
Massachusetts residents asked to limit water use
The state has issued recommendations for those who are in significant or critical drought areas. People and businesses in both categories are asked to "minimize overall water use" and follow local water use restrictions.
The recommendations for the "critical" regions go a step further, urging residents to "fix any toilet or faucet leaks immediately" and to "aggressively reduce indoor water use by taking shorter showers, running dishwashers and washing machines only on a full load."
Cities and towns in the critical areas are also advised to "enforce water use restrictions with increasingly stringent penalties" and to strongly discourage washing cars, boats, and hard outdoor surfaces like sidewalks, patios, driveways and siding.
"This autumn has felt different"
Warm and dry conditions promoted the National Weather Service to issue another Red Flag warning for Friday to spread the word that fires could spread rapidly. The state saw 203 brush fires in October, far more than the historic average of 15.
According to the latest forecast, it could be another week before there's beneficial rainfall in Massachusetts.
"This autumn has felt different for all of us. Climate change is bringing drier weather to our state at times and extreme precipitation at others," Sec. Tepper said. "It is critical that we all practice water conservation methods, especially indoors, and adhere to local requirements to decrease the stress on our water systems and ensure essential needs, such as drinking water, habitats and fire suppression, are being met."
