EASTHAMPTON — The city on Thursday implemented a mandatory water ban, joining a handful of other Hampshire County communities that have already issued such restrictions of nonessential water use in the midst of a drier than normal summer.
Meantime, Hatfield announced this week a voluntary water ban after a sharp spike in water use in recent weeks, town officials said.
Easthampton and Hatfield join Northampton and Ware under mandatory bans, while Belchertown and Southampton have voluntary water bans. Southampton’s ban is an extension of a request officials made in June 2015.
Statewide, 117 communities, mostly in the central and eastern part of the state, have imposed similar bans in an effort to ensure a sustainable water supply and to protect aquatic life, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Weather across the state has been drier than average this summer, according to a June report from the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission.
Western Massachusetts was the closest to normal, as it saw about seven-tenths of an inch less precipitation than average for the month, but other parts of the state saw differences of more than 2 inches below average.
Easthampton public water supply customers are prohibited from nonessential outdoor water use, according to a release sent by Department of Public Works Director Joseph I. Pipczynski.
Watering lawns by means other than a handheld hose, washing of vehicles other than by commercial car wash or as necessary for driver safety and washing of exterior building surfaces or pavement is allowed only once week, before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.
Food production and watering of livestock is exempt from the restriction.
Easthampton’s water supply is regulated by the state DEP, which requires that water bans be implemented when flow of the Connecticut River drops below a certain rate for a three-day period.
The ban may be lifted when flow returns to favorable levels, at which point the city will notify residents.
Violation of the ban could result in fines — $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent one.
A mandatory ban in Northampton covers all non-essential outdoor water use between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Hatfield’s voluntary ban asks town water customers to refrain from using automatic sprinklers between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day, with other outdoor water use — like washing cars or filling swimming pools — on an “odd-even” schedule: houses with odd-numbered addresses can use water outdoors on odd-numbered days and vice-versa.
The ban doesn’t affect private wells.
The town’s ban stems from an overuse problem. The town’s daily water use has grown to more than double what it should be. Water Superintendent Anthony Lastowski said the town’s yearly limit for water draws averages out to about 310,000 gallons per day. In recent weeks, he said, the town’s per-day draws have increased to more than 700,000 gallons.
A spike in water use isn’t unusual in the summer months, Lastowski said, but a jump this high is. This summer’s dry weather has led residents to perform tasks like watering their lawns more often.
“They’re watering non-stop,” Lastowski said.
Though the ban officially went into effect at the beginning of the month, Lastowski said it wasn’t announced until earlier this week. He expects it to take a few days for residents to hear about the ban and start abiding by it.
The voluntary ban is scheduled to last through September unless it’s lifted earlier, but if Lastowski doesn’t see results, he said the town may have to implement a mandatory ban, which would level fines against violators.
“It’s just going to have to be played by ear,” he said.
Staff Writer Chris Lindahl contributed to this report.
Jack Evans can be reached at jackevan@indiana.edu.