Jaffrey Town Administrator Jon Frederick said the town has been keeping a close eye on the drought, but as of Wednesday morning, the town had not introduced any water restrictions.
“We have been having this conversation regularly, and we will be having it again today,” Frederick said Wednesday morning. “We have been watching the situation closely.”
Of towns reached by the Ledger-Transcript, Bennington, Francestown, Lyndeborough, New Ipswich, Greenville, Hancock, Jaffrey and Wilton have not instituted restrictions. Messages left in Antrim, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Sharon, Temple and Rindge were not returned.
A Tuesday press release announcing the introduction of restrictions in Peterborough starting on Wednesday stated that 72.4 percent New Hampshire is experiencing moderate drought conditions, while 13.3 percent is experiencing severe drought. According to the release, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has advised all communities experiencing drought conditions to impose mandatory outdoor watering restrictions.
“We tend to take our lead on matters like this from the state,” Peterborough DPW Director Seth MacLean said.
Frederick said in past drought conditions, when water restriction became necessary, the first step for Jaffrey has been to issue a voluntary ban, with advisories asking residents to take precautions like watering their lawn at night to reduce evaporation and reducing use. But the town has not issued any restrictions yet this summer.
Greenville, which also has a public water system, has also not instituted any restrictions as of Wednesday, though Town Administrator Tara Sousa said that at the direction of the state, or if the town’s water administra tion finds it necessary, it’s a step th e town could take.
Charlie Moser, a Select Board member in Mason, said the board discussed the topic of water conservation at their most recent meeting but has not enacted a ban in town yet.
“We’re researching what our authority is. It’s under consideration in Mason,” Moser said.
In Hancock, Town Administrator Jonathan Coyne said only about 200 residents are on town water.
“Most of the town is on their own wells,” he said.
Peterborough restrictions
Until further notice, the following outdoor watering activities are restricted or prohibited for customers using the Peterborough public water system:
— Landscape irrigation, such as the watering of lawns and gardens, is only permitted between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. Even-numbered street addresses are permitted to water during allowable hours on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Odd-numbered addresses are permitted to water during allowable hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. This applies to all properties in Peterborough that use the public water system.
— Filling swimming pools is prohibited.
— Washing cars and boats, except at a commercial car wash facility, is prohibited;
— The use of water for firefighting, health, sanitation, medical purposes and other essential uses is not restricted, but domestic water use conservation practices should be implemented wherever possible.
MacLean said state law gives the town the right to impose restrictions on private wells, but the town is not doing so now.
“We’re protecting the public system at this point,” he said.
MacLean said this is the third time Peterborough has instituted restrictions in the past decade. Individuals who don’t comply may be subject to fines of $500 per day, potential suspension of access to the public water system and additional civil penalties, but MacLean said people have been good about following the rules in the past.
According to MacLean, police and utility crew members will be educating the public about the restrictions over the next couple of weeks, and that on this and most issues, as long as residents have someone to talk to about what is expected, they go along.
“It’s in the better interest of the community to do so,” he said.
MacLean said the town would continue to follow guidance from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, and he does not know how long the restrictions will last.
“These things do tend to take some time when you’re dealing with a significant drought issue like this,” he said.
Peterborough residents with questions can call MacLean at 603-924-8000, ext. 102.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.