Outdoor watering restrictions now in effect

As a result of the new water permit issued by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the town must implement a mandatory outdoor water conservation measure from May 1 through September 30.

The town experiences excessively high water demands during the summer months, primarily due to lawn watering activities, so the Lincoln Water Department has instituted an odd-even schedule for all nonessential outdoor watering. House addresses that end with an even number may water on Tuesday and/or Thursday. Addresses that end with an odd number may water on Wednesday and/or Friday. There is no nonessential outdoor watering on Saturday, Sunday or Monday. Also, watering will not be permitted on any day between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.; thus it is allowed only in the late evenings and early mornings.

Restricted outdoor watering activities include irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems, washing of vehicles, and washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks. Watering lawns, gardens, flowers or ornamental plants by means of a hand-held hose or bucket is permitted.

According to the Massachusetts Cooperative Extension System, healthy lawns require only one inch of water weekly, either from rain or irrigation or a combination of both.  Watering once a week with a deep soak is preferable. Watering a lawn lightly on a frequent basis encourages shallow rooting and crabgrass growth while making the lawn more susceptible to drought injury. Watering on hot and sunny days results in a majority of the water evaporating before it reaches the root system.

If you have a sprinkler system, please consult the system’s owners manual or contact a sprinkler company to correctly program your automatic sprinkler controller. This mandatory water restriction will be a yearly requirement, so programming the sprinkler controller now will eliminate the need for future adjustments.

Water Department staff will be monitoring sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the restriction policy. A second notice will result in a $50 fine, and subsequent violations will result in $100 fines. Anyone with questions may call Water Department Superintendent Greg Woods at 781-259-1329.