SOUTHWICK — For an unprecedented third time this season, the town’s Water Commission has implemented mandatory water restrictions for all non-essential outdoor water use.
Restrictions apply to “non-essential outdoor water use,” meaning any use that isn’t necessary for health and safety, or for agriculture or business. Water used to produce food and fiber, maintain livestock, enact the core functions of a business or to fulfill the requirements of a regulation is not restricted.
Examples of “non-essential” uses — allowed only one day a week — include watering lawns with sprinklers, washing cars outdoors and washing exterior surfaces like driveways or parking lots.
Each of these uses has exceptions, though. For example, watering lawns and gardens with hand-held hoses is allowed and gardens can also be watered with a soaker hose or drip irrigation system. Lawns planted in the past 12 months can be watered. Cars can be washed at commercial car washes.
Which day is allowed for non-essential outdoor water use is determined by whether the property has an even-numbered or odd-numbered address, and whether it lies north or south of a line that follows Granville Road, Depot Street and South Longyard Road. All addresses directly on those three roads are considered part of the north region. Mornings and evenings when outdoor water use is allowed are:
- Mondays: North region, odd-numbered properties.
- Tuesdays: North region, even-numbered properties.
- Wednesdays: South region, odd-numbered properties.
- Thursdays: South region, even-numbered properties.
Non-essential outdoor water use is banned all day, all throughout town, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The town will enforce these restrictions by monitoring water meters. Town crews will also be on the lookout for violators. The town can issue fines of $50 for the first offense and $100 for every offense afterwards.
Triggered by low flow levels in the Westfield River, the commission implemented this year’s first water restriction in early June and continued it until July 9. Less than three weeks later, on July 29, the restriction was again implemented. The commission then lifted the restriction on Aug. 1, when the flow of the Westfield River increased to above 174 cubic feet per second for seven consecutive days.
However, since early August, the region has been relatively dry, and the flow of the Westfield River dropped below the threshold of 174 cubic feet per second for seven consecutive days, even though the watershed has not been named a drought region by the state.
The restriction will likely remain in place until Sept. 30, although if river flows increase before then, it could be rescinded again. Under the terms of the town’s water withdrawal permit, issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection in 2014, river flows below certain thresholds trigger water restrictions between June and September only.
More information is available at tinyurl.com/w33bbx. Public Works Director Randy Brown encouraged those with questions to reach out to the DPW office at 413-569-6772.
