Ipswich water use restrictions likely to remain – News – Wicked Local Ipswich

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Summertime and its time for the lawns to turn brown, cars to get dirty and to water plants and flowers by hand.

And swimming pools? No water for them. Pools should have been filled in spring.

Ipswich water restrictions that limit such water use will be in force for the foreseeable future, said Town Manager Tony Marino.

I dont anticipate it [the water restrictions] will be lifted any time soon, Marino said via text.

The restrictions will continue despite recent showers and predicted rain for Friday, July 10.

Gov. Charlie Baker issued a drought declaration for the region in early July.

Vicki Halmen, water/wastewater director, didnt return phone calls or an email to expand on Marinos statement.

How much rain is needed to lift the restrictions, how much water the restrictions will save, how much water Ipswich needs to save and how much dry weather will force Ipswich to go to the next step, a water ban, remain unanswered questions.

Showers are hit or miss. We need a good 5 or 6 inches of rain to catch up, 2 to 3 inches just to keep from going backwards, Wayne Castonguay Ipswich River Watershed Association executive director, said in a recent article addressing low water flows in the Ipswich River.

Halmen posted a notice on the town website detailing the water use restrictions.

The water restrictions permit irrigating public parks and recreation fields between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. and irrigating lawns, gardens, flowers and ornamental plants, by a hand-held hose also between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Water restrictions prohibit:

Lawn irrigation by any system other than hand held hose or bucket;

Washing vehicles except to meet core function of a business;

Washing the outside of buildings, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement;

Filling or refilling swimming pools.

We urge everyone to comply with the restrictions to ensure an adequate water supply through the summer. If these restrictions are not effective and rainfall is insufficient, a water ban prohibiting all outside water use will be imposed, Halmen wrote in the statement on the town web page.

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Ipswich water use restrictions likely to remain - News - Wicked Local Ipswich