Level 1 Drought Declared - Trash Day Only Use Restriction Until Further Notice
On September 15th a Level 1 Drought was declared by the Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary for Southeastern Region, which includes Bellingham.
Effective Immediately
9/15/2025
TRASH DAY ONLY
No Lawn non-essential water use between 9 AM to 5 PM – Any Day
Non-essential water use (lawn sprinklers and automatic irrigation system) are allowed only on TRASH COLLECTION DAY AND BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 5 PM AND 9 AM.
Handheld watering is allowed any time any day but not recommended between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM.
Why no watering 9 AM to 5 PM? Watering lawns or gardens during the hottest and sunniest part of the day is an inefficient use of water. The evaporation rate is high during this part of the day; therefore, a gallon of water used equals less than a half-gallon of water getting to the roots of your lawn or plants.
Other water conservation measures recommended during Level 1 Drought
- Minimize overall water use.
- Fix indoor leaks, such as from toilets, faucets, and showers. These indoor minor leaks can result in more than 60% of indoor use.
Longer term measures to consider:
- Plant only local and drought resistant species.
- Larger buildings and businesses should consider conducting water audits to identify areas of leaks and potential water conservation opportunities.
- Minimize lawn sizes.
- Harvest rainwater for outdoor watering.
The DPW does not take water use restrictions lightly. We do not like to institute any use restrictions as it has an adverse effect on our revenue, and we need the revenue to fund operations and improvements. We
continuously monitor consumption and water tank levels. We will only institute use restrictions and modify them as necessary to maintain customer household pressure, firefighting capabilities, and when directed to do so by the State to address regional concerns such as drought.