Mandatory Water Usage Restrictions Continue In Doylestown

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — With drought conditions lingering, the Borough of Doylestown Water Department announced on Monday the continuation of mandatory water usage restrictions in Doylestown Borough and in neighboring Doylestown Township.

The restriction, which took effect Nov. 14, 2024, in both communities will remain in place until further notice, said water authority director Jeremy Matozzo who made the announcement at the borough council meeting.

“We are still seeing record lows in precipitation for the year. January was the third lowest rainfall on record in 131 years,” said Matozzo. “We had a bit of an increase in February as far as rainfall, but that is not leading to higher groundwater levels.”

In making the determination, Matozzo said he relies on a variety of state and federal monitoring systems, including the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Drought Monitoring website, which he said provides “a good picture of groundwater levels and rainfall across the state.” In addition, he uses the USGS website to check groundwater levels throughout the region. He also checks groundwater levels at a regional monitoring well in addition to the wells used by the borough.

"It's a combination of seeing a larger trend throughout the state and the county and then more locally in our own water system," said Matozzo. “With that, we’ve determined that we are still very much in a drought situation and being a groundwater-dependent system much of the recent rains have not really helped us in any significant way."

Matozzo said the borough's water system also works in close coordination with Doylestown Township "being that both systems are interdependent upon each other. We felt it was important to be a united front in keeping the mandatory restrictions in effect."

The southeast region, he said, continues to face an unprecedented duration of drought conditions and because of the significant lack of precipitation, the groundwater levels that feed the borough’s water distribution system continue to decline.

"It is imperative that all customers do their best to meet the requirements of these restrictions," he said. "We realize the significance of these restrictions and deeply appreciate everyone’s cooperation."

Mandatory Restrictions

• The use of hoses, sprinklers, or other means for sprinkling or watering of shrubbery, trees, lawns, grass, plants, plants, vines, gardens, vegetables, flowers, or any other vegetation.
• The use of water for washing automobiles, trucks, trailers, trailer houses, or any other type of mobile equipment. Commercial car washes using recycled water are not currently affected.
• The washing of streets, driveways, parking lots, service station aprons, office buildings, exteriors of homes, sidewalks, apartments, or other outdoor surfaces.
• The operation of any ornamental fountain or other structures making a similar use of water.
• The use of water for filling swimming or wading pools.
• The use of water from fire hydrants for construction purposes or fire drills.
• The use of water to flush a sewer line or sewer manholes.
• The use of complementary table tap-water at restaurants, bars, and dining establishments.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is a drought? A drought is an extended period of below-average rainfall or dry conditions that leads to a water shortage. Droughts can have serious impacts on health, agriculture, economies, energy, and the environment.
• Specifically, how is the Doylestown Borough Water System being affected by the drought? The borough's water system is fed off a series of five groundwater wells. As the drought conditions have progressed, we have noticed our well levels continue to decline, are having a long rate of recovery when not pumping water and are pumping less water than normal. The Borough has an emergency interconnection with Doylestown Township, which can be used to bring in extra water when needed. However, since DTMA and all our neighboring public water suppliers are seeing their own systems become stressed, this is not a long-term solution for the borough.
• What steps has the water department taken to conserve water? Operationally, the water department has skipped its yearly system-wide flushing program, completed preventive maintenance to critical parts of the distribution system, and continues to do active leak detection. Strategically, we have coordinated our emergency response plans with the fire department and the Doylestown Township Municipal Authority to ensure everyone is cooperating
• Are there penalties if I choose not to follow the mandatory restrictions? Yes, after an initial warning, a repeat offender may be fined up to $300 and/or have their service disconnected.
• Are there additional resources I can use to learn more about droughts? Yes, the Environmental Protection Agency & Pennsylvania DEP offer abundant resources to learn about droughts and water conservation.