Nonessential outdoor water use remains prohibited
On Friday, August 14, 2020, following a drought declaration declared by the Commonwealth, the Board of Water and Sewer announced that Medfield was subject to a Tier 4 Water Restriction. This restriction goes into effect immediately and remains in effect until further notice. A Tier 4 water restriction prohibits nonessential outdoor water use, except by a handheld hose.
In addition, beginning Monday, September 28, 2020, the Town will begin a long-planned maintenance project on the Mt. Nebo Water Tower that will take approximately two months to complete. During the project, the Mt. Nebo Water Tower will be drained and taken temporarily offline. The Town’s contractor will make repairs to and paint the outside of the water tower as well as make repairs to the interior of the tank. This planned maintenance project will extend the life of the water tower. Once the water tower is taken offline, the Town will only have one water tower in operation (the Medfield State Hospital Water Tower).
The Medfield Board of Water and Sewage and the Medfield Water Department will continue to monitor the weather, water demand, and the Town’s infrastructure throughout the Mt. Nebo project.
Thank you to all residents for your continued diligence in helping to conserve our water resources.
A Tier 4 water restriction prohibits nonessential water use.
Examples of nonessential outdoor water use that are now prohibited include:
- Uses that are not required for health or safety reasons
- Irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems
- Washing of vehicles other than by means of a commercial car wash, except as necessary for operator safety
- Washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement
Example of acceptable outdoor water use that is not affected:
- Irrigation of lawns, gardens, flowers, and ornamental plants via handheld hoses only. This may only take place outside the hours of 9 am and 5 pm when evaporation and evapotranspiration is lower.
This water restriction was put into place due to the drought declaration which triggered Restrictions based on Water Management Act Permit. In addition, daily water usage has continued to increase, despite the Tier 3 water restriction that limited water use to every other day.
The Town’s Water Rules and Regulations include additional information on water restrictions and can be found at this link. MassDEP maintains a list of all communities with water restrictions in place.
Water uses not subject to mandatory restrictions are those required:
- For health or safety reasons
- By regulation
- For the production of food and fiber
- For the maintenance of livestock
- To meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by plant nurseries as necessary to maintain stock).
Thank you for adhering to this new water restriction and working together to reduce our water consumption.
Questions about the water restriction can be directed to Director of Public Works Maurice Goulet at 508-906-3004 or mgoulet@medfield.net.