Don't unroll the hose: Does your town have a water ban?
Central Massachusetts residents looking to beat the heat by running through a sprinkler may have to visit friends, as outdoor water bans make their way through the region.
More than 20 Central Massachusetts towns have implemented restrictions on non-essential outdoor water usage as the region has been determined to be in critical drought status.
The restrictions can range in some places, with a total ban on outdoor usage entirely in some, while others only allow watering between certain hours or on certain days.
The state Department of Environmental Protection published a list of towns throughout the commonwealth with water restrictions. A list of the towns in the Central Massachusetts region:
Ashburnham
Residents prohibited from all non-essential outdoor water usage.
Auburn
Properties with even numbered street addresses are allowed to use outdoor water Sundays, Wednesday and Fridays before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Properties with odd numbered street addresses are able to use outdoor water Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, during the same timeframe. No one is able to use outdoor water on Mondays.
Blackstone
Non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited for all residents on all days, aside from watering of a vegetable garden.
Dudley
Residents are prohibited from all non-essential outdoor water usage. but are also asked to minimize overall water usage.
Fitchburg
Residents are prohibited from using non-essential outdoor water between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Gardner
Residents are prohibited from using non-essential outdoor water between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
South Grafton
Properties with even numbered street addresses are allowed to use outdoor water on even numbered calendar days, while odd numbered street addresses are able to on odd numbered calendar days. Residents can only use non-essential outdoor water between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Hopedale
Outdoor water usage is restricted to two days per week based on house number. Odd numbered houses are allowed to water Tuesdays and Thursdays, while even numbered are allowed Wednesdays and Fridays. No outdoor water usage is allowed Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays or any day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. However, residents may water vegetable gardens by use of a handheld nozzle.
Leicester
The town of Leicester has two water districts including the Leicester Water Supply District and Hillcrest Water District. Both districts have a ban for all non-essential water use.
Leominster
Beginning Monday, Aug. 1, Leominster residents will have to follow an odd/even outdoor watering restriction, with odd number addresses being allowed to use water on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and even numbered houses on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. No watering outdoors can occur on Mondays or between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Lunenburg
Non-essential outdoor water use prohibited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Milford
Odd-numbered street addresses may use water outdoors Sundays and Thursdays between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.; even-numbered addresses may do so on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Rutland
No use of outside irrigation systems are allowed during the day. They are only allowed to be used one day per week between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m.
Shrewsbury
Properties with even numbered street addresses are allowed to use outdoor water Wednesdays and Saturdays only, while odd numbered addresses are allowed Thursdays and Sundays only. Watering hours for all residents are restricted to before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. There is no nonessential outdoor use of water Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays.
Spencer
Non-essential outdoor water use prohibited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Sterling
Properties with even numbered street addresses are allowed to use outdoor water even numbered calendar days, while odd numbered addresses are allowed on odd numbered calendar days. Watering hours for all residents are restricted to before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
Sutton
The town of Sutton has three water districts including Manchaug, Wilkinsonville and Whitinsville. Manchaug, the smallest of the trio, currently has no outdoor water ban in place, whereas Whitinsville, the largest, has a total ban on non-essential outdoor watering for all days and times.
Wilkinsonville currently has a year-round outdoor watering ban, with a split between odd numbered addresses and even numbered addresses. Odd numbered addresses are allowed to water on odd numbered calendar days, while even numbered addresses are allowed on even numbered calendar days. Residents are only allowed to water before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m.
Templeton
Residents are only able to use non-essential outdoor water between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the week.
Upton
Non-essential outdoor water use is allowed only before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. Watering flowers, gardens and shrubs by hand is allowed.
Uxbridge
Non-essential outdoor water use prohibited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Ware
Non-essential outdoor water use prohibited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Warren
The town of Warren has two water districts: Warren Water District and West warren Water District. Both have prohibited non-essential outdoor water use between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Webster
Properties with even numbered street addresses are allowed to use outdoor water on even numbered calendar days, while odd numbered street addresses are able to on odd numbered calendar days. Residents can only use non-essential outdoor water before 7 a.m. and after 7 p.m.
West Boylston
Properties with even numbered street addresses are allowed to use outdoor water on even numbered calendar days, while odd numbered street addresses are able to on odd numbered calendar days. Residents are prohibited from non-essential outdoor water usage between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Westborough
Non-essential outdoor water use prohibited between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Don't unroll the hose: Does your town have a water ban?
