Extreme Drought Spurs Danvers Water Use Prohibition

DANVERS, MA — All outdoor water use is prohibited across Danvers beginning Monday amid an extreme drought alert for the Ipswich River water basin.

Town officials said the water restriction has been raised to a rare Level 6 emergency due to low flow in the Ipswich River after insufficient rainfall in recent months.

Level 6 drought conditions do not permit any outdoor water use at any time.

"Over the past few months, precipitation has been at an unprecedented low in the region," officials said. "The Northeast region, including Danvers, has seen an 8-11 inch rainfall deficit since August, leading to critically low river flow, falling groundwater levels, and drying ponds. This extreme drought not only impacts our ecosystems but also puts immense pressure on water supplies needed for essential services like firefighting and public health.

"We urge all residents to conserve water aggressively and follow the restrictions to ensure our community can weather these challenging conditions."

While outdoor water use is generally limited this time of year, residents are reminded that the use of sprinklers, irrigation systems or hand watering with hoses or cans will not be allowed. The filling of swimming pools and washing of cars is also not allowed.

Violations of the Level 6 drought conditions result in a warning letter for the first offense; subsequent violations may result in a $300 fine.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)