Massachusetts Irrigation Schedule
Smarter watering begins with you
People across the country are putting water high on the list of things to use more efficiently, especially given the large fluctuations in the amount of rain and snow we receive. Plus, of course, the finite nature of the water supply and the essential role it plays in human, economic and environmental well-being.
In the communities shown below, residents are saving millions of gallons of water each year by following a mandatory schedule for sprinkler irrigation.
Hand-held watering is allowed at any time. Customers may qualify for a variance from the schedule for new lawns or plantings during the months of May and September.
Water Use Restrictions
Nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to mandatory restrictions include:
- irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
- washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety; and
- washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or cement.
The following uses may be allowed when mandatory restrictions are in place:
- irrigation to establish a new lawn and new plantings during the months of May and September;
- irrigation of public parks and recreational fields by means of automatic sprinklers outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and
- irrigation of lawns, gardens, flowers and ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose.
Water uses NOT subject to mandatory restrictions are those required:
- for health or safety reasons;
- by regulation;
- for the production of food and fiber;
- for the maintenance of livestock; or
- to meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by golf courses as necessary to maintain tees, greens, and limited fairway watering, or irrigation by plant nurseries as necessary to maintain stock).
Massachusetts Towns Participating in Irrigation Conservation
For Millbury Customers
(In effect from May 1 to September 30)
| Last Digit of Your Address Number | Nonessential outdoor water use is allowed only at the following times |
| 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 (even numbers) | Even-numbered days |
| 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 (odd numbers) | Odd-numbered days |
| No address number | Even-numbered days |
For Dover & Plymouth Customers
(In effect to September 30)
On May 11, 2022, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) declared a Level-1 Mild Drought in the Southeast and Islands Regions of the Commonwealth.
This map highlights the towns impacted by the mild drought. The Towns of Dover and Plymouth are included in this highlighted area.
How does this impact the conservation program?
Once a mild drought is declared, Aquarion is required to adjust its irrigation schedule to one day per week. The revised schedule below is now in effect for our customers in Dover and Plymouth.
| Last Digit of Your Address | Nonessential outdoor water use is allowed only at the following times |
| 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 (even numbers) | Sunday |
| 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 (odd numbers) | Saturday |
| No address number | Sunday |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Nonessential outdoor water uses that are subject to mandatory restrictions include:
- irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
- washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety; and
- washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or cement.
The following uses may be allowed when mandatory restrictions are in place:
- irrigation to establish a new lawn and new plantings during the months of May and September;
- irrigation of public parks and recreational fields by means of automatic sprinklers outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and
- irrigation of lawns, gardens, flowers and ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose.
Water uses NOT subject to mandatory restrictions are those required:
- for health or safety reasons;
- by regulation;
- for the production of food and fiber;
- for the maintenance of livestock; or
- to meet the core functions of a business (for example, irrigation by golf courses as necessary to maintain tees, greens, and limited fairway watering, or irrigation by plant nurseries as necessary to maintain stock).
Visit http://www.nsrwa.org/watersmart/greenscapes/ for tips on lawn and garden care. According to Greenscapes:
- Grass grows the deepest and healthiest roots with infrequent watering.
- Watering two days a week is more than adequate to have a beautiful lawn. In fact, research has shown that grass thrives with about an inch of rain a week - some supplied by Mother Nature and the rest by just one watering.
You can also visit our Lawn and Garden Irrigation Tips page.
Historically, when the demand for water increased in a community, the water industry considered only one solution: construct a new water supply (a well, a reservoir, or an interconnection with another community). Forward-thinking water utilities and community leaders have now come to recognize that prudent use of these precious resources is also part of the solution; in part, because spending money on new water supplies will result in higher water rates and conservation is simply better for the environment.
With this new approach, Aquarion, like many other environmentally conscious utilities, has begun implementing annual irrigation restrictions in some of the communities it serves in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Through the Water Management Act, MassDEP regulates the amount of water that all water suppliers in Massachusetts can withdraw from the environment from its sources (e.g. wells). The irrigation schedule will help ensure that our water systems are in compliance with the WMA permit limits and requirements.