Better drought management

I am writing in response to the July 18 article, “The drought you can’t see.” The Gazette provided a detailed article explaining how drought is measured, the different components of drought, how water restrictions are issued and the levels of government involved. Some readers may have been surprised to see the report that Massachusetts has been in a drought since October 2024.

I would note one correction to the article, which stated that the Springfield Water and Sewer Commission is exempt from state water restrictions. The Massachusetts Appeals Court on July 31, 2025, ruled against the water and sewer commission. See Springfield Water & Sewer Commission and others v. Department of Environmental Protection (24-P-931).

Massachusetts has an opportunity to do a better job with drought management which will benefit everyone in the commonwealth. Currently, a conference committee in the Legislature is working to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of the Environmental Bond Bill. The Senate version of the bill (S.3064, the Mass Ready Act) includes a drought management bill sponsored by Senator Jamie Eldridge. The Boston Globe, in a July 5, 2026, editorial urged support for the drought bill. Please call your legislators and ask them to contact members of the conference committee, urging support for the drought bill language.

The drought bill allows us to be better stewards of our water resources. Currently, residents are seeing a patchwork of measures and notifications about non-essential watering restrictions. Passing the drought management language would grant the state authority to coordinate actions on water savings when our water supplies are most at risk. This action would make non-essential outdoor watering rules consistent and clear from municipality to municipality and would set restrictions by sub-regions of the state. The drought amendment would not affect water use for agriculture or business and would not introduce new enforcement mechanisms. It also would not impose a “one size fits all” approach to water conservation.

Better water management will help protect private wells, community water supplies, fish in our rivers and streams, wetlands, and agricultural crops. Please call your legislators.

Sherry Morgan

South Deerfield