PRESS RELEASE: Dedham and Westwood Drought Declaration Downgraded from Significant to Mild

Dedham, MA— On Friday, August 7, the Massachusetts Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)/Drought Management Task Force downgraded the drought declaration for the Southeast Region of the Commonwealth from Level 2 Significant Drought Conditions to Level 1, Mild Drought Conditions. With the change in drought conditions, effective Monday, August 17, the District will implement Level 1 Mandatory Water Restrictions, allowing outdoor watering one day a week.

Level 1 is mandatory unless otherwise declared by the Commonwealth. All nonessential outdoor water uses are restricted to no more than one day per week, before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m., except that watering ornamentals and flower gardens with drip irrigation, hand-held hose, or watering cans may be permitted.

Allowable watering days are based on the first letter of the street name of the service address:

• - Monday: Street names beginning with A through C
• - Tuesday: Street names beginning with D through J
• - Thursday: Street names beginning with K through R
• - Friday: Street names beginning with S through Z

“Recently, the Southeast Region has experienced substantial precipitation, leading to continued improvement in drought conditions,” said Executive Director Blake Lukis.

For drought management purposes, Dedham and Westwood are located in the Southeast Region of the Commonwealth. Per the District’s Water Withdrawal Registration Statement, all drought declarations made by the EEA/Drought Management Task Force for our region must be adhered to.

The Drought Management Task Force typically meets monthly to review conditions across the Commonwealth. If/when the EEA declares a change in drought status, the District will formally announce specific requirements on our website, Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram.