‘Dangerously low water tank levels’: Bridgewater bans outdoor water use amid water supply emergency

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — Bridgewater officials on Thursday said they’re banning all outdoor water use amid a water supply emergency.

Officials said the town’s water tanks could be nearly empty by Monday, if residents continue using water at the current pace.

Residents are also being asked to conserve water use indoors “due to dangerously low water tank levels.”

Residents found violating town water restrictions will face “substantial fines” for each day of prohibited use, officials said.

“Over the past few weeks, we have sent out numerous reverse-911 calls and made announcements asking residents to limit their water usage,” Town Manager Dutton said in a statement Thursday night. “These messages have gone unheeded and we are now at a point where the water levels in our tanks are concerningly low. ”

“We absolutely need residents to adhere to this message and halt all outdoor water usage immediately,” Dutton said. “If residents cooperate, and Town water tanks are allowed time to refill, this restriction could be lifted within a few days.”

Officials expect the full ban on outdoor water use to last through at least Monday, June 24. The use of outdoor residential sprinkler systems and the filling of residential pools is prohibited.

Typically, there is about 75 feet of water in each of the town’s two main water tanks, which are located on Sprague Hill and Great Hill.

As of Thursday morning, the tanks were down to 30 and 25 feet, respectively, officials said. The water levels have dropped about 50 percent in the last week alone. When levels dip below 50 feet there is cause for concern among Town officials.

“Increased demand for water during the heat wave combined with prohibited outdoor usage and ongoing well replacement projects has drained Town water tanks to their lowest levels in years,” town officials said.

The issue poses a significant public safety threat, particularly for the Fire Department, which would be faced with issues of low water pressure at hydrants and the overall amount of water available to effectively fight fires, officials said.

“A large fire can require hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to fully extinguish,” Fire Chief John Schlatz said. “We need to prioritize public safety and allow the water tanks to recharge.”

In the case of a water supply shortage, the Fire Department would need to rely on the use of water tanks on its own trucks, in addition to calling in tanker trucks and mutual aid from other communities.

To help mitigate the issue in the short term, Well 10B, which had been turned off for scheduled maintenance, was turned back on Thursday to help resupply the tanks.

Residents may notice a slight discoloration in their water due to this well being turned on prior to the scheduled maintenance being completed. However, the water remains safe to drink and use, officials said.

The town’s Department of Public Works this week conducted water pumping tests required by the state Department of Environmental Protection in connection with the ongoing efforts to replace Wells 5 and 9 with new wells, officials said.

The replacement wells cannot be turned on until approval is given by the DEP, which could take up to 60 days, officials said. Town officials will be petitioning the DEP to ask if they can expedite the process to allow for the wells to be turned on as quickly as possible.

As of right now, the water tanks simply need time to be resupplied by the water in the town’s wellfields. Officials said with the measures in place, the tanks could be replenished by next week.

Residents are asked to take the following measures while the emergency order is in place:

• Do not use outdoor sprinkler systems
• Do not fill or refill your pool with town water
• Do not water flower beds
• Do not water vegetable gardens
• Take shorter showers
• Delay non-essential laundry loads

Town officials will be driving around neighborhoods to check on sprinkler usage and will be stepping up enforcement of town water rules.

“The Bridgewater Public Works Department continuously monitors all residential water usage and can see which users have had significant spikes in use. Residents are reminded that significant spikes in use could also result in higher water bills,” officials said.

“These high water usages are a clear indication to us that there is significant ongoing prohibited water use by residents,” said Bridgewater Public Works Director Etoniru. “There are hundreds of pools in town that residents have been trying to top off in a short period of time and we know of several residents who have outdoor sprinkler systems that are not allowed to be used under Town ordinances.”

“We all need to do our part so we can get the water levels back to where they need to be,” Etoniru said.

Anyone with questions is asked to call the Bridgewater Water Department at 508-697-0910.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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