June 19, 2020 (Submitted by Aquarion Water Company)
With temperatures on the rise and no substantial rain in sight, Aquarion Water company reminds residents in Hingham, Hull and North Cohasset there is a mandatory irrigation schedule in place that limits the use of sprinklers and irrigation systems.
Aquarion collects daily precipitation and water production information and prepares a statistical summary every month. The information for May 2020 indicates that water demands are at their highest level in the month of May since 2016 and the Company urges residents to adhere to the irrigation schedule that is in place. While the area saw more than 9 inches of rain in April, less than 3.5 inches of rain fell in May. At the same time, water usage in May spiked to its highest level since May of 2016 as customers used an average of 3.51 million gallons per day, compared to just 2.74 million gallons per day in May 2019 and 3.30 MGD in May of 2018. Precipitation and water production information for the first 2 weeks of June 2020 tell the same story.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) regulates how much water public and private water systems can withdraw each year. In the case of this system, which serves Hingham, Hull and a small part of Cohasset, all of the water is withdrawn from the Weir River watershed basin, which is considered a stressed basin by the MassDEP.
Aquarion customers should use the following irrigation schedule – Households with an even number street address may irrigate on Sunday and Wednesday from 12:01 am to 10 am or 6 pm to Midnight. Those who have an odd number street address may irrigate on Saturday and Tuesday during those same hours. Watering with a handheld hose is permitted anytime.
Residents can learn more about Aquarion’s Water Conservation Program by visiting www.aquarionwater.com/watering.
According to a representative on behalf of Aquarion, today the company issued a code-red call to local residents which included the following alert:
"The current weather conditions and changes in household occupancy (working from home) due to Covid-19 have resulted in extremely high seasonal demands on our water system. These demands are causing higher than normal flows in the water system and creating discolored water in some areas of Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset. As a result, Aquarion is urging customers to limit non-essential water uses, such as lawn irrigation and washing vehicles, which are collectively placing an extremely high demand on the system.
As water usage drops back to normal levels water service disruptions and discolored water will be resolved."