North Reading Water Department Asks Residents to Optimize Water Use

The following was submitted by the Department of Public Works:

The weather continues to make headlines as one of the warmest and least snowy winters on record has given way to a spring with significantly below normal precipitation for the year to date. Red flag warnings due to fire danger have been posted frequently in eastern Massachusetts, and this lack of precipitation is evident in local rivers and streams. The Ipswich River, which is typically at or near its highest level of the year in early spring, is flowing at only a fraction of its normal volume this year.

The North Reading Water Department and North Reading Water Commission are understandably concerned about the water supply situation as we head toward the summer months. Residents and businesses in North Reading are being asked to take action now and take the steps now to optimize their water use and eliminate the waste of water.   

The amount of water flowing in the Ipswich River at the USGS gauge in South Middleton on April 16, 2012 was 28 cubic feet per second (cfs), which is the lowest flow rate for this date in the 74 years of record keeping at this gauging station. The previous low flow for this date was 29 cfs recorded in 1966, and the average flow rate for this date is 137 cfs. 

While the flow in the Ipswich River drops significantly below 28 cfs during most summers, the record low flows this spring are causing concern to environmentalists, recreation enthusiasts and water suppliers. A lack of water can impact the spawning of fish that rely on the high water levels in the spring.  Past droughts have seen portions of the Ipswich River become a series of disconnected pools, with fish trapped and dying as the river dries up.

North Reading relies on wellfields in the Ipswich River water basin for its water supply, and supplements this water with water purchased from Andover, which draws water from the Merrimack River basin. As the summer begins, North Reading typically sees water demand increase by 80 percent above the winter water demand, with most of that additional water being used for lawn irrigation. During a drought, people looking to maintain a green lawn often increase the frequency or duration of their lawn watering cycles, requiring the water system to supply the most water when the water levels in the aquifer are at their lowest levels. 

The primary functions of the public water system are to supply the volume of water needed to meet the drinking water and sanitary requirements of North Reading while simultaneously maintaining a sufficient quantity of water in the storage tanks to provide for fire protection under maximum water demand conditions. Water used for irrigation and landscape maintenance is not considered an essential function of the water supply.

North Reading is developing a drought management plan to address water supply issues and to tailor water use restrictions to the state of the Town’s water resources. This plan will look to combine a number of water supply indices to determine a drought level that is both meaningful and specific to North Reading, and the drought level will have corresponding water conservation measures associated with it. 

Indices will include the flow rate at the South Middleton gauge, the average volume of water in the Town’s water storage tanks over the past seven days, the total volume of water demand in North Reading over the past seven days. An increase in water demand and a decrease in the flow rate in the river and volume of water in the storage tanks will result in an increased drought level and more stringent water use restrictions. The Town’s index will also factor in the drought level in Andover as well as the current Palmer Drought Index for the area.

Again, as lawn maintenance is not an essential function of the Town’s water system, water use restrictions will be targeted at reducing this area of water demand. There are a number of steps residents and businesses can take now to help minimize their water use while still allowing their lawns and landscapes to survive water restrictions. 

The typical method of operating irrigation systems – with daily or every other day watering of lawns – not only wastes water, but it can harm your lawn.  Researchers have shown that lawns require about one inch of water per week, and it is best for the lawn to get this water in one deep soaking rather than multiple shallow wettings. Links to these research articles can be found on the town’s web page.

Town officials strongly urge water conservation measures be taken at this time due to the potential of a serious drought emergency in the upcoming months in the absence of significant precipitation. Your cooperation in taking all necessary steps is appreciated and will ensure as adequate water supply for our residents.