Posted on: Wednesday, June 24, 2020
LYNNFIELD — Superintendent John Scenna announced recently that the Lynnfield Center Water District has implemented a Level 5 water restriction, resulting in a ban on outdoor water use at all times until further notice.
The watering ban is necessary to ensure ample water supply for essential indoor use, as well as adequate water pressure to meet potential demand for fire suppression.
The implementation of a Level 5 restriction is a direct result of increased system demands in the evening, overnight and early morning hours in recent days, which have impacted the system’s ability to recover from much higher than usual daytime demand.
Water consumption between from June 1-21 has increased 30 percent over the same period in 2019, and daily consumption has been consistently 10-12 percent higher overall since the beginning of stay-at-home advisories due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the last 30 days, the District has pumped seven million more gallons than it did over the same 30-day period in 2019. District-wide, demand over the last week has been approximately one million gallons per day, which is at the upper limits of the district’s capacity.
“The demand on the system is due to a combination of factors, including dry weather and more time spent at home by customers throughout the district,” Superintendent Scenna said. “That demand is unsustainable over the long-term, so we’re asking residents to be very thoughtful about their water use going forward in order to curtail our usage and provide our system the ability to return to standard operating levels.”
LCWD staff are actively working to identify ways to expand capacity, including working with its partners at the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), Lynnfield Water District and CDM Smith consulting to install a temporary bypass between the two districts to provide emergency supplemental water. The process to complete the bypass is a multi-faceted one, including MWRA approvals, agreements between water entities and an analysis of blending two water resources that have their own water chemistry. Work on this is well underway, including the temporary connection on Summer Street, in order to expedite this effort.
Additionally, the District is working with the state Department of Environmental Protection to restore service at Station 1 on Phillips Road, which would help supplement supply. The LCWD and DEP are working collaboratively to identify the extent of Station 1’s ability to support the District under the current circumstances.
“Summer is just beginning, so while we are asking residents to assist by limiting their outdoor water use, we are also making sure to use all of our existing resources to supplement the water supply, including those that may be available on an emergency basis,” Scenna said.
The District will provide regular updates as they become available, and is grateful for residents’ cooperation.
