Danvers Bans All Outdoor Water Use Effective Immediately

DANVERS, MA — All outdoor water use is prohibited effective immediately in Danvers as the town moved to a Level 6 water restriction on Monday.

The Level 6 restriction — the highest on the town scale — bans all outdoor water use — including sprinklers, irrigation systems, and even hand watering of flowers with hoses or cans. Filling swimming pools and car washing is also prohibited.

Violations will result in a warning letter on the first offense and a $300 fine for each subsequent offense.

Town officials said the ban is necessary because of the low flow in the stressed Ipswich River watershed amid this year's extreme drought.

(Also on Patch: Hot, Dry September In MA As School Starts: Long Range Forecast)

"We appreciate the cooperation of all residents during this period," town officials said. "Residents should be alert to changes in outdoor water restriction levels as the summer progresses."

Last week, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation banned outdoor open fires at Massachusetts state parks as brushfires continued to spark amid the drought. That ban, which includes an exception for small, portable propane-fueled grills used for cooking, is in place indefinitely.

The Lynn Woods Reservation reopened this weekend after four fires there burned 86 acres of woodland over the course of a week.

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