Danvers Seasonal Outdoor Water Restriction In Effect

DANVERS, MA —Danvers residents will be restricted from daytime watering of their lawns and gardens beginning on Sunday as the town moves to Level 2 of its season water use policy.

Watering using automatic sprinklers and irrigation systems will only be allowed from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily. Hand watering of plants and gardens is still allowed.

The town said the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection imposed the regulations to help protect the "highly stressed" Ipswich River water basin.

The seasonal regulations are in effect from May 1 to October 1 each year and can become progressively more restrictive through the summer depending on precipitation levels and usage.

The town is capped at using more than 3.8 million gallons of water per day throughout the five-month period.

"Conserving water now will reduce the need for the Town to implement more stringent restrictions later," officials said. "The small changes you make can make a big difference."

More information on the seasonal regulations can be found here.

(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.)