| ROWLEY – Rowley Water Department announced a mandatory water ban for the Town effective immediately.
No non-essential water use is in effect between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days per week.
On May 22, 2026, Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper declared a Level 3 – Critical Drought for the Northeast Region, which includes Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk Counties. The designation follows years of below-average rainfall and declining streamflow across the state, signaling worsening drought conditions and increasing stress on local water supplies.
In addition to the level 3 drought conditions, RWD has limited water production capacity due to Well #2 being offline since October 2024. The RWD is currently investigating a short-term solution to bring well #2 back online.
What does this ban mean?
We are asking residents and businesses to refrain from non-essential water use outside from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. There are a number of uses considered non-essential, such as automated sprinkler systems and washing your own car.
The RWD has Water Ban Violation Fees for first offenders of $50, second offenders of $100, and third offenders of $300.
Essential Water Usage During Water Restrictions
MassDEP Water Management Program (WMA) regulations (310 CMR 36.00) were amended. This will better align water use restrictions during times of drought with the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, as updated in 2019.
- Health or safety – this includes long-established uses like fire-fighting and municipal pipe flushing to prevent contaminants in water supply pipes, as well as:
- Public facilities used for cooling, such as splash pads and swimming pools, and
- For washing of boats, engines, or marine equipment to prevent negative saltwater impacts or the transfer of invasive aquatic species;
- By permit, license, statute or regulation;
- For the production of food, including privately-owned home vegetable gardens, and fiber;
- For the maintenance of livestock;
- To meet the core functions (those functions essential to the commercial operations) of a business, such as;
- Plant nurseries to maintain stock,
- Golf courses to maintain greens and tees, and limited fairway watering (this is further described in 310 CMR 36.07(2)(c)2.a. through c. of the regulations),
- Venues used for weddings or similar special events that limit watering to hand-held hoses or driveways’ irrigation to maintain gardens, flowers, and ornamental plants,
- Professional washing of building exteriors, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks as necessary to apply paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or cement in the course of construction, reconstruction, or renovation work;
- To irrigate public parks before 9:00 a.m. and after 5:00 p.m.
- To irrigate public and private recreation fields, including those operated by schools, colleges, universities, and athletic associations, before 9:00 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
- To irrigate publicly funded shade trees and trees in the public right-of-way; or
- To establish a new lawn to stabilize soil after new construction or repair/replacement of a Title 5 system.
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