Editor's note: After The Item went to press, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs elevated northeast and central regions of the state to critical drought status.

There is no denying it is dry this summer. How dry is a matter of degrees. The state Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) declared a Level 2-Significant Drought in central regionals of the state. In addition, the U.S. Drought Monitor has northern Worcester County labeled as severe drought.

The U.S. Drought Monitor is produced through a partnership of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It is the metric used by the National Weather Service.

Several Item-area towns have taken steps to address the drought issue.

Sterling runs a mandatory water ban from May to Sept. 30, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The West Boylston Water District has mandatory water use restrictions in effect through Sept. 30. And Lancaster is beginning voluntary water use restrictions.

While Bolton does not have a municipal water supply, with all residents on private wells, the Board of Health sent out a message to residents recommending water conservation as recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs Drought Task Force.

"I’m definitely concerned about the drought in the region. This is becoming an annual occurrence," Bolton Town Administrator Don Lowe said. "While I hope people practice conservation measures as they are able to do so, the town has no authority to issue water usage restrictions or bans of any kind."

Other Item-area towns with private wells are Berlin and Boylston.

One town currently not dealing with water restrictions is Clinton, which receives its water supply from the Wachusett Reservoir, under an agreement with the state established when the reservoir was built.

Lisa Prophet, administrative assistant with the Clinton Department of Public Works said the Wachusett Reservoir is currently at 88.9%, or 58 billion gallons, according to the MWRA. 

"There are no water bans or restrictions in place by the MWRA at this time," Prophet said, adding that Clinton receives up to 800 million gallons of water per year; last year, Clinton used 449 million gallons.

But that does not put Clinton citizens in the clear, Prophet said.

"If there was a severe drought, the superintendent of public works, in concert with the Board of Selectmen - who are the water commissioners - could issue a restriction, if required," Profit said.

"Sterling has what is called a water management act permit, which is a permit regulated by the Mass. Department of Environmental Protection that regulates how much water can be withdrawn by a water system each given year," according to Ryan Mouradian,  superintendent of Sterling's Department of Public Works. "Most of the towns surrounding us, aside from Clinton, work under a water management act permit."

Clinton has water rights under an agreement drafted when the Wachusett Reservoir was created.

"Most of the water management act permits, including Sterling’s, require what is called a seasonal use water restriction, which restricts 'non-essential' water use between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily between the months of May and September, or typical peak water usage," Mouradian said. "An example of non-essential use would be routine lawn irrigation, car washing, etc."

"Sterling chooses to take that a step further, and enact an odd/even water ban, which means if you live in an even numbered home, you can use water for non-essential before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. on even numbered days. Same goes for odd numbered days in odd numbered houses," he said.

In  addition to the drought, Sterling has an additional challenge.

"Sterling only has two sources of water to supply the town, and it is our responsibility to protect those sources," Mouradian said. "Water use such as hand watering with a hose nozzle is allowed at any time. We are currently working on a third source so we have some redundancy in our system, but that is still several years in the future.

Refer to Sterling’s website for more information of what is or isn’t allowed under the water use restriction or call the Department of Public Works with any questions at (978) 422-6767. 

"We are being pro-active on the education of all our water customers and users so they are aware of the changing conditions," said Kevin Bartlett, superintendent of Lancaster's Department of Public Works.

Lancaster is now under a voluntary water ban.

"This means we are requesting residents conserve water when possible," according to a notice on the department's Facebook page. "Watering of lawns, topping off pools, kid's water toys, etc. are all things to keep an eye on under these conditions. When things are this dry, overuse of water is easy- and residents could see that reflected in their bill."

West Boylston Water District has mandatory water use restrictions in effect through Sept. 30. 

"Our lawn watering restrictions are mandatory to help keep us below our MassDEP registered withdrawal limit from the aquifer," said West Boylston Water District Superintendent Michael Coveney. 

West Boylston Water District Mandatory Water Use Restrictions are in effect June 1 through September 30

Lawn watering is prohibited between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Outside watering is permitted on an odd/even basis. Addresses ending with an odd number may water on odd calendar days. Addresses ending with an even number may water on even calendar days.

"There are many factors that could prompt a total ban on outside watering and this would be considered by the board of water commissioners to be a drought emergency," Coveney added. "The current water level conditions are lower than normal for this time of year and we are monitoring this on a daily basis to determine if any further actions are needed.

"Two of our wells are very close to the Wachusett Reservoir and benefit from its contribution to the aquifer," Coveney said. "Our third well is further away from the Wachusett, but is still within its watershed area. Even though we do not pump directly from the Wachusett Reservoir, our wells do benefit from having it close by and we appreciate having this watershed area."

Violation of the water use restriction may result in penalties, according to a notice sent to residents.

Call the Water District office at (508) 835-3025 or visit www.westboylstonwater.org for information.

Beth Card, the secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, declared a level 2 significant drought in Northeast and Central regions of the state on July 12. According to the announcement, 90 percent of Massachusetts is experiencing drought conditions.

"As outlined in the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, a Level 2-Significant Drought warrants the convening of an inter-agency Mission Group, which has already been convened, to more closely coordinate on drought assessments, impacts and response within the government," according to a press release from the state.

In contrast, a "Level 1-Mild Drought warrants detailed monitoring of drought conditions, close coordination among state and federal agencies, and technical outreach and assistance to the affected municipalities."

“As the state continues to experience dry conditions, and with little rainfall expected in the immediate forecast, it is important that we all implement water conservation practices to reduce stress on our local water supply systems and our natural habitats,” Card said in a release. 

Drought is also a safety issue

“As the drought conditions worsen across parts of the Commonwealth, MEMA reminds residents to exercise caution when using charcoal grills, backyard fire pits, and other open flame outdoor activities to prevent outdoor fires,” said Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) Acting Director Dawn Brantley in the state press release. “Residents can also assist during the drought by minimizing water usage and following any local water restrictions for their area.”

Since the start of June, hydrological conditions have continued to decline across the state and, in particular, in the northern half of the state. Fire danger in the northern half of the state is steadily on the rise, with noticeable drought stress on foliage in shrubs and grasses, according to the state press release. Ongoing drought conditions are also impacting growers, including local farms, with some farmers irrigating more heavily due to the lack of precipitation.

"Important to note, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) water supply system is not currently experiencing drought conditions, as defined within its individual plan," according to the state press release. "However, private wells, local streams, wetlands, vernal pools and other water-dependent habitats located within MWRA-serviced areas will be impacted by drought conditions while water quality in ponds can deteriorate due to lowering of levels and stagnation."

Residents in the significant drought area are asked to:

• Minimize overall water use; and

• Limit outdoor watering to hand-held hoses or watering cans, to be used only after 5 p.m. or before 9 a.m.;

The state asked communities to: 

• Adopt and implement the state’s nonessential outdoor water use restrictions for drought;

• Limit or prohibit installation of new sod, seeding, and/or landscaping; washing of hard surfaces (sidewalks, patios, driveways, siding); personal vehicle or boat washing; operation of non-recirculating fountains; filling of swimming pools, hot tubs and backyard informal rinks;

• Implement drought or seasonal water rates;

• Establish water-use reduction targets for all water users and identify top water users and conduct targeted outreach to help curb their use.

“Dry conditions continue to affect a major part of the Commonwealth and, in a time of year when our rivers and streams are normally at their lowest, it is even more important to conserve in order to protect water supplies and our natural resources,” MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg stated in the press release. “People should be aware of, and follow, conservation measures put into place by their local water systems.” 

The Drought Management Task Force will meet again on Monday, Aug. 8.