Flouting watering restrictions could lead to ban, officials warn

Acton officials are out with a water conservation plea ahead of a predicted week of sweltering weather.

If current restrictions don’t work, a total lawn watering ban could be next. 

“We need your help,” town staff wrote in a Monday announcement. 

Acton’s level one restrictions limit lawn watering with in-ground irrigation systems and sprinklers to one day per week before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m., based on residents’ trash pickup days. 

Officials have sent out more than 60 warning letters so far this year, town Senior Environmental Regulatory Coordinator Melissa Simoncini told The Acton Bridge. 

“If we see them watering a subsequent time, they get an extra special call from division staff,” she said. 

Further violations can incur fines.

Lawn watering isn’t allowed on Saturdays, Sundays, or Mondays, but officials said they saw “a significant drop” in water storage tanks Monday morning. 

Middlesex County is in a state-designated “critical drought.” Hot weather can further strain water supplies, and forecasts estimate temperatures could surge past 100 degrees later this week. 

Town officials are asking residents to obey the one-day-per-week rule or skip watering altogether this week.

If use stays high and storage levels keep falling, staff warned, “we may need to implement a complete lawn watering ban.”

The region picked up nearly an inch of rain early last week, according to National Weather Service data from Hanscom Field, but June’s total rainfall of 1.63 inches is still well below the normal 3.39 inches.

Officials enact use restrictions to ensure water stays available for daily necessities and firefighting. 

Maynard and Sudbury residents are already facing more extensive water bans than Concordians. 

Acton hasn’t imposed a lawn watering ban since 2016, Simoncini said.

She’s urging people to check the town’s water conservation webpage for the latest as restrictions “can increase quickly” and it can take days to update town signage.

The webpage also has additional information about what’s allowed under current level one restrictions.

Acton farmers here have been struggling with drought effects, and the NWS’ Boston office has issued an “extreme heat watch” from 10 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Friday.

High humidity could make it feel as hot as 110 degrees across much of southern New England, per the NWS. 

Experts are reminding people to stay hydrated, limit afternoon outdoor activity, wear lightweight and light-colored clothing, and run air conditioning — if available — during this week’s heat.