Water Alerts & Updates

Water Updates and Alerts are also posted on the Town's Newsfeed, Facebook and Twitter.

9/22/2022

The Board of Selectmen voted, effectively immediately, to lift their ban of all nonessential water use in Town. 

They are encouraging residents to follow the DEP guidelines, which recommends limiting outdoor watering to hand-held hoses or watering cans, to be used only after 5 p.m. or before 9 a.m.

*Essential uses are defined by MassDEP as uses required: a) for health or safety reasons; b) by regulation; c) for the production of food and fiber; d) for the maintenance of livestock; or e) to meet the core functions of a business. Nonessential uses are those other than essential uses.

9/14/2022 

The Southeast Region has been upgraded to Level 2 – Significant Drought from a Level 3-Critical Drought. 

The Southeast Region (Dover) saw improvement at the regional scale. This declaration will remain in effect till the next declaration. 

These are mandatory restrictions. Hand-held watering will be allowed for now from 5pm to 9am. Water uses subject to mandatory restrictions include nonessential outdoor watering activities such as:

• irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
• washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety; and
• washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or cement
  

For more information on the State's drought status and management, please visit the State’s Drought Management Taskforce website

8/18/2022

Level 3 – Critical Drought areas ban on all non-essential outdoor water use

The Board of Selectmen adopted the  Water Restriction Bylaw Enforcement Policy on August 18, 2022. This policy allows the Town to enforce the Water Restriction Bylaw, which was adopted by residents at the May 2, 2022 Annual Town Meeting.

Due to the current level 3 drought conditions, the Board voted to ban all nonessential water use throughout Town at their August 18, 2022 Board of Selectmen Meeting. This applies to all residents (Aquarion, Dover municipal water, private wells) and are mandatory restrictions.

This Nonessential water use includes: 

Click here to report violations

8/1/2022

Level 2-Significant Drought Halts Non-Essential Water Uses 

With water levels in wells declining due to irrigation and the region’s Level 2 Drought status, the Town of Dover and Aquarion Water Company are directing all residents and businesses in Dover to halt all non-essential outdoor water uses, including irrigation of lawns via sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems now through September 30.

These are mandatory restrictions. Hand-held watering will be allowed for now from 5pm to 9am.

Water uses subject to mandatory restrictions include nonessential outdoor watering activities such as:

• irrigation of lawns via sprinklers or automatic irrigation systems;
• washing of vehicles, except in a commercial car wash or as necessary for operator safety; and
• washing of exterior building surfaces, parking lots, driveways or sidewalks, except as necessary to apply surface treatments such as paint, preservatives, stucco, pavement, or cement
  

For more information on the State's drought status and management, please visit the State’s Drought Management Taskforce website

Aquarion customers can visit their website for more information.

5/2/2022

Dover residents voted to adopt a Water Restriction Bylaw at the Town's Annual Town Meeting

This covers all water sources in the Town including; Aquarion, Dover Municipal Water, and private wells.

Bylaw Purpose:

• Defines applicability of bylaw - covers all Dover residents and businesses regardless of water source (well, Aquarion, other)
• Defines who can declare a drought emergency - provides for more local control;
• Defines communication methods for drought conservation and emergencies;
• Defines “non-essential” water usage during drought conditions;
• Creates an enforcement mechanism for compliance.

3/18/2022

Eversource's Aquarion Co., who aquired Colonial Water Company December 1, 2021, to begin month-long water main flushing program on March 21, 2022

Read press release here

2/16/2022

Eversource's Aquarion Co., who aquired Colonial Water Company December 1, 2021, released a Status Report on February 9, 2022

The following status report is a summary of the work performed to-date to improve water quality and system reliability. 

• Read full report here

1/11/2022

Eversource's Aquarion Co., who aquired Colonial Water Company December 1, 2021, released a Status Report on January 7, 2022

The following status report is a summary of the work performed to-date to improve water quality and system reliability. 

• Read full report here

10/22/2021

Tata & Howard's Final Report for the flushing, tank evaluation, and sustainability portion of the Colonial Water Company, Dover, Massachusetts (MA) Discoloration Assessment 

Please find Tata & Howard's final report on the Colonial Water System that's focused on the company's infrastructure. This report concludes the corrective action plan evaluation required by the DEP. 

• Read full report here
• See Tata & Howard's Presentation to Dover BOS on 10/21/21 here
• Video of Dover's BOS Meeting Mtg on 10/21/21 here

10/1/2021

Water Quality evaluation conducted by Tata & Howard released

This first phase focused on water quality concerns whereas the second phase will focus on CWC's infrastructure.

•   Read full report here.

9/8/2021

Colonial Water asks residents to refrain from non-essential water use until 9/14/21

Colonial Water Company is moving forward with redevelopment of their largest producing well at the Francis Street location, in an effort to address the discoloration issues. While the well is offline they are asking for the cooperation and assistance of all customers to keep demands on the system to a minimum.  Please refrain from any outdoor irrigation or non-essential water use until Tuesday 9/14/21. 

•       For more information please go to CWC's website. 

9/3/2021

Colonial Water Company updates progress on 07/30/2021 Corrective Action Plan

The following items have been completed, or are currently underway as of 9/3/2021:

• The Wells A, B and C at the Francis Street site have been inspected and evaluated for corrective measures.
• Well C has been redeveloped.  Redevelopment is a process where the well screen and the gravel layer surrounding it are cleaned, and pressurized water is forced through the gravel to remove sediment, to help improve the performance of the well.
• Well B is currently being redeveloped.
• Well A will be redeveloped in the next few weeks.
• A third-party consultant has been retained to study the system, and recommendations on actions and/or methods to alleviate the water discoloration will be submitted to the MassDEP on 9/10/2021.
• The third-party consultant will also be performing a larger scale study on the system, and their findings and recommendations will be provided in Mid-October.
• For more information please go to CWC's website.
  
  

8/24/2021

Residents affected by discolored water to receive weekly reimbursements by CWC