AMHERST — A mandatory water ban, in which watering lawns, washing cars and filling swimming pools will be prohibited, goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday as a means of safeguarding Amherst’s water supply.
The ban was issued Wednesday by David Ziomek, interim town manager, two days after he was given this authority by the Select Board, which voted unanimously to give him and incoming Town Manager Paul Bockelman, who starts Aug. 22, the right to impose an emergency outdoor water use ban.
Ziomek said the ban is “a wise and prudent thing to do” to ensure there is sufficient water to provide for the town’s population as it increases with the return of students to the University of Massachusetts and Amherst and Hampshire colleges in the coming weeks.
“It is not an emergency yet, but what we’re trying to avoid is a shortfall in September and October,” Ziomek said.
“The important message here is information we’re getting on a daily basis from state officials in Boston is the drought is continuing and the drought is intensifying,” Ziomek added.
The mandatory ban enhances a voluntary ban implemented by the Select Board in July. All automatic lawn sprinkler systems used by residents must be turned off, no swimming pools can be filled and all washing of motor vehicles at non-commercial establishments will be prohibited.
Farmers, though, will still be able to provide water for their fields and livestock, and residents can continue to water backyard gardens.
Though no fine structure is in place, enforcement will begin with verbal warnings and distribution of flyers. Ziomek said this will involve members of the police, fire, inspections services and public works departments, who will visit neighborhoods to make sure mandatory restrictions are being adhered to.
“Our goal here is not to be punitive (rather) it’s to work with residents to make sure they understand why we’re doing this and not allowing watering of lawns at the moment,” Ziomek said.
Ziomek said he hopes the ban will make people aware of their responsibility in conserving water, allowing them to think about how often they are running their washing machines or how long they are in the shower.
The town has already taken its own steps at conservation. This included stopping the watering of all recreational fields, rescheduling projects where high volumes of water would be used and checking for leaks in pipes at the water treatment and wastewater plants to make sure systems are operating at peak performance.
Ziomek said he appreciates that UMass and the two colleges are also cutting water use, following conversations with officials from all three campuses, and that the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce and Amherst Business Improvement District will reach out to commercial users.
“Its really about a community challenge,” Ziomek said. “We’re grateful people helped during voluntary water restrictions; we saw positive effects from that.”
Though only a small number of residents have wells, Ziomek said he hopes they, too, will comply, noting that aquifers and watersheds throughout Amherst are connected.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Guilford Mooring told the Select Board it is essential to have this new policy in place, observing that move-in day at UMass, set for Sept. 3, is annually the biggest water use day in Amherst.
There are already several mandatory water use bans in the region, including in Hadley, Northampton and Westfield, but it is unusual for Amherst to implement one.
“We’ve never gotten to this point in our system,” Mooring said.
The state permits under which the town operates its system allows Amherst to draw up to 4.55 million gallons per day on average.
In July, the town used 400,000 more gallons of water per day than the 10-year average, or 3.3 million gallons compared to 2.9 million gallons, according to figures provided by Mooring.
Mooring explained that the region is in a drought watch and has received just 17.8 inches of precipitation this year instead of the normal 31.5 inches.
“So 14 inches is what we’re short so far,” Mooring said.
This has taken a toll on water supplies, including at Atkins Reservoir in Shutesbury, which can hold 200 million gallons of water, but which is at 100 million gallons and 7 feet below full. In mid-July, this prompted the town to start up the Baby Carriage Well, also known as Well 4, in South Amherst. That is about a month earlier than normal.
At its Aug. 29 meeting, the Select Board will discuss whether to set financial penalties for those who get caught violating the emergency water use declaration.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com
