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Mandatory Water Restriction Level Raised

Effective Monday, July 25, 2022
Posted on: July 25, 2022 - 1:49pm

 

THE WEST NEWBURY WATER 
DEPARTMENT HAS RAISED THE LEVEL OF 
THE MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTION 

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                       The West Newbury Board of Water Commissioners has raised the level of the existing water restriction. Starting on Monday, July 25, 2022 residents connected to the municipal water system must stop the use of in-ground irrigation and above ground garden hose sprinkler systems to water their lawn. Lawn watering is not allowed at this time. Please turn off your timers on your irrigation systems. Residents are allowed to hand water their flowers, gardens and shrubs between the hours of 6:00AM and 9:00AM only. You can hand water with a hose as long as it is equipped with a shut off nozzle. Use of open­ended hoses is not allowed. 

The restriction is necessary to maintain adequate water levels in our water tanks for fire protection and to relieve stressed water sources in West Newbury and Newburyport. This restriction will be in effect indefinitely. Our wells have reached their trigger points and if water tank levels continue to drop due to extreme usage or if the drought worsens, we will need to enforce a total outdoor watering ban. 
This restriction only applies to residents connected to the municipal water system. 
We ask residents who irrigate with water from private wells to place a sign that reads 
"WELL WATER" on their lawn so it can easily be seen by the public. 

Water and Police Department personnel will monitor outdoor watering. Watering outside of the hours allowed will result in fines. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense and a fine of $100. If more than two fines are given your water service may be suspended. If your water service is suspended you will be charged $250.00 before water service is restored. 

Please help out everyone in our community and abide by these restrictions. If you have any questions, please call the Water Department at (978)363-1100 extension 127. 
THANK YOU 

Drought Map

    WEST NEWBURY WATER DEPARTMENT 
MANDATORY WATER RESTRICTION 
LEVEL RAISED AGAIN 
Starting on Monday, July 25, 2022, all nonessential outdoor water use must stop watering. 
The West Newbury Water Departments wells have reached their trigger points and the level of the restriction has been raised by the Board of Water Commissioners to maintain adequate water levels in the water tanks for fire protection and to relieve stressed water sources in West Newbury and Newburyport. The Parker River in Byfield, MA has also reached its trigger point. 


Water Use Restrictions; 
Nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to the mandatory restrictions include: 

•    irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems; (no lawn watering).
•    no washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety.
•    no filling pools but topping off the water level due to evaporation is allowed.
•    no washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement.

The following uses may be allowed any day between 6am and 9am only, when mandatory restrictions are in place. 

•    irrigation to establish a new lawns only (not established lawns). For example; septic system replaced.
•    irrigation of gardens, flowers, and ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose (no open-ended hoses, hose must be equipped with a spray nozzle that will shut off) or drip irrigation systems.

Water uses NOT subject to mandatory restrictions are those required:

•    for health and safety reasons;
•    by regulation;
•    for the production of food and fiber;
•    for the maintenance of livestock; or
•    to meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by plant nurseries as necessary to maintain stock).

The Water Department may make more stringent restrictions in the future if need be. 
XXIII Water Use Restriction By-Law; Section 9. Penalties 
Any persons violating this bylaw shall be given a written warning for the first offense. For the second and subsequent violation within the same calendar year, said person shall be liable to the Water Department in the amount of $100.00 which shall inure to the Town. Fines shall be recovered by indictment, or on complaint before the District Com1, or by non-criminal disposition in accordance with section 21D of Chapter 40 of the general laws. Each day constitutes a separate offense. In addition to the above fines, for violations beyond the second offense, the Commissioners shall have the right to suspend water service. If water service is suspended then a Reactivation Fee of $250.00 will be charged and must be paid to the Town Collector before water service is restored. 

Water Conservation 
You can play a role in conserving water and saving yourself money in the process by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using and by looking for ways to use less water whenever you can. 
Here are a few tips: 

  • Automatic dishwashers use a lot of water for every cycle, regardless of how many dishes are loaded. So, 
    or your money and load it to capacity. 
    • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth. 

• Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it and you can save almost 6,000 gallons per year. 

  • Check your toilets for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes to see if the color shows up in the toilet bowl. If it does, you have a leak. It is not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from an invisible toilet leak. Fix it and you could save as much as 30,000 gallons a year and a lot of money. You can also obtain a leak detection kit from the Water Department free of charge. 
  • Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Simply turn off all taps and appliances that use water. Take note where the meter dial is located on the meter. Then check the meter dial after several minutes. If the meter dial has moved, you have a leak. Newer meters have a small diamond or star shaped indicator dial that will be turning if you have a leak. If the leak is small, it may take several minutes before the dial will move. The dial usually is red or black. 
  • Install new lawns in the early spring or early fall when the temperature is mild. If you initially spend more for extra loam when installing a lawn it will cost you less to water the grass when it grows in because it will be able to hold more moisture for longer periods of time which means you will be able to water less. Don't wait until summer to install the lawn. A water ban may be in effect which will not allow you to water the lawn or that you will need to water more often which stresses the water system and you lose a lot of water to evaporation during the hot months. 
  • Please conserve your water resources and be aware of any water restrictions that may be implemented in the future. Go to www.wnewbury.org for updates on the Town web page and the Water Department web page. 
    Your efforts to conserve water will help the department to maintain adequate water levels in the water tanks for fire protection and to relieve stressed water sources. Limiting the amount on nonessential outdoor water use is needed to ensure a sustainable drinking water supply and to protect natural resources and stream flow for aquatic life.