REMINDER~ UPDATED WATER CONSERVATION RESTRICTIONS:
The Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper has declared a Level – 2 Significant Drought in the Southeast, Cape Cod, and Islands Regions due to worsening dry conditions.
The designation follows two years of below-average rainfall and declining streamflow and groundwater across the state, signaling worsening drought conditions and increasing stress on local water resources.
During May, the state received between 1-3 inches of rain, which was 1.5 to 3 inches below normal. The greatest precipitation deficits were in the Berkshires, the Southeast, and Cape Cod and the Islands. Rivers and streams throughout the region are running below normal levels, even with some temporary increases right after a rain event. These decreasing levels are an indicator that groundwater levels continue to go down.
As outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan (https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-drought-management-plan/download), a Level 2 – Significant Drought requires communities to only allow hand-held watering to be used only after 5 p.m. or before 9 a.m.
Please visit our website for updated water conservation information (https://www.franklinma.gov/628/Water-Conservation)
Thank you for your support as we follow the States requirements to ensure a sustainable drinking water supply and to protect environmental resources.
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