Burlington Issues Water Ban Violations As Reservoir Runs Low

BURLINGTON, MA — The town of Burlington had issued over 400 water ban violations and 70 fines as of Thursday morning as drought conditions linger and a heat wave threatens to return to the region, the Department of Public Works (DPW) said.

The Burlington DPW took to social media on Thursday to reiterate the town’s full outdoor watering ban.

Unlike some neighboring towns with different levels of restrictions, Burlington pulls water from the Mill Pond Reservoir to fill its needs.

A lack of rain and an inability to pump any water from the nearby Shawsheen River, however, has left reservoir levels “severely low,” the DPW said.

“We would like to thank those who have complied with the water restrictions this summer,” the DPW continued. “We understand how frustrating this has been.”

Department of Public Works Director John Sanchez told WCVB last week that local conditions were "approaching a real, real emergency," in Burlington.

Severe drought conditions now spread over more than 40% of Massachusetts as of a recent update to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Areas at severe drought status include all of Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Local and state officials continue to remind residents to conserve water.

In the meantime, a heat advisory was scheduled to take effect on Thursday as heat indexes were forecast to potentially push past 100 degrees.

Burlington has a cooling center open at its Human Services Building at 61 Center Street through Friday.