Wayland Starts Water Restriction After Concord River Ebbs

WAYLAND, MA — A drop in the flow of the Concord River has prompted Wayland to begin a water ban, prohibiting nonessential use in most cases during daytime hours.

Beginning Thursday, residents and businesses will be banned from nonessential outdoor water use between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily — except Wednesdays. Residents will also still be allowed to use handheld hoses for outdoor watering.

"The recent drop in flow of the Concord River at our assigned Streamflow Monitoring Gauge has triggered the need for this water restriction. Limiting water use, especially non-essential outdoor water use, is needed to ensure a sustainable water supply and to protect stream flow for aquatic life," the town said in a bulletin dated June 14.

Other water ban restrictions include:

• No use of either above ground or automated pop-up sprinkler systems
• No washing vehicles, except at commercial car washes
• No washing buildings, parking lots or other paved surfaces — except as needed to apply paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement or cement

Residents will get a warning for a first violation of the ban, but there's a $100 fine for the second offense, and $200 for every other subsequent offense. Scofflaws also risk having their water service shut off.

The ban will be in effect until water conditions improve, the town said in a bulletin.

Most of Massachusetts is not in any form of drought status as of Thursday, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, except a few portions of Berkshire, Worcester and the outer Cape and islands.