Wayland Increases Water Restrictions As Drought Continues

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland on Wednesday increased town-wide water use restrictions amid an ongoing drought and strain on a town water treatment plant.

As of Wednesday, Wayland residents will be limited to handheld hose watering of lawns and gardens only on Wednesdays between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. the following day.

The town in late May also restricted the use of sprinkler systems — including below-ground systems and sprinklers operated by a hose — to once per week: 5 p.m. on Wednesdays until 9 a.m. on Thursdays.

"Although the immediate cause of this action is due to the operational limitation of the Baldwin Pond Treatment Plant, this conservation of water use is consistent with what has been implemented in the past due to drought conditions and guidelines issued by MassDEP. This action is necessary to maintain proper storage in the Reeve’s Hill Tank and to provide for essential service needs," the town said in an advisory on Wednesday.

According to town bylaws, residents caught dismissing the water use restriction could get fined $100 on the second offense, and risks losing water service completely on a third or subsequent offense.

On June 16, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs upgraded the drought status in Massachusetts to level 2 "significant" in a wide portion of the state including all of Middlesex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Plymouth and Bristol counties.

Although heavy rains hit the region Monday, the spring months saw lower-than-usual rainfall amounts. In May, the Wayland area got about 1.32 inches of rainfall compared to the normal level of 3.25 inches, according to the National Weather Service.