By KENNEDY GRIFFIN
(Greenfield, MA) The City of Greenfield is pulling back their water restrictions that began earlier this summer. When the Massachusetts declared a “Level 3 Critical Drought” status for the area, Greenfield implemented a water ban on nonessential outdoor watering August 10th. The state is now in a “mild” drought and so the City has removed the ban but is still urging businesses and residents to voluntarily conserve water.
“The City’s water system continues to recover, not only from extreme drought conditions, but also from dredging of the Leyden Glen Reservoir, which required us to empty the reservoir last spring,” said DPW Director Marlo Warner. “We are appreciative of the steps residents and businesses have taken to reduce water consumption. They made a big difference and ensured we had adequate water reserves for emergencies.”
The Leyden Glen Reservoir that was dredged over the summer for maintenance has refilled to almost 60% capacity of its 44 million gallons. The Millbrook Wellfield and the Green River Pumping Station continue to meet the city’s water needs. The wellfield continues to recover from the summer drought conditions. The water level in the Green River is stable.
“With a little more precipitation, we can get the reservoir filled and allow the water to clear up from the dredging and we’ll be able to tap it again,” added Warner. “In the meantime, we’re asking people to continue to conserve water where they can.”
Water-saving habits include shutting off the tap while brushing teeth, fixing leaking faucets, washing only full loads of laundry, limiting car washing, and installing water-saving devices. Find more resources on saving water at https://mass.gov/info-details/drought-status