State Asks Cambridge Residents to Minimize Water Use Amid ‘Critical’ Drought

State officials banned nonessential outdoor water uses and asked Cambridge residents to minimize all other water use after declaring a level three “critical” drought status for the northeast region of Massachusetts on Thursday.

Following “abnormally low levels” of rainfall in October, multiple reservoirs across the state are experiencing decreases in water levels, according to a press release by the City of Cambridge on Friday.

According to the press release, state officials are recommending residents try to “aggressively reduce” their overall water usage, including by taking shorter showers or checking for faucet leaks.

While the impact of the water restriction will be blunted by the season — most outdoor, nonessential water usage goes for landscaping, which doesn’t require water once cold weather hits — state officials recommended residents try to “aggressively reduce” their overall water usage, including by taking shorter showers or checking for faucet leaks.

Though there have yet to be changes to Cambridge’s own water quality, according to city spokesperson Jeremy C. Warnick, the city nonetheless “strongly recommends taking action now.”

“Please be mindful of all water use and help promote water conservation,” Warnick wrote in a Friday email. “This will help allow our water reservoir system [to] recharge, while maintaining our water quality.”

Cambridge, which has its own water supply and is a member of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, which is capable of meeting “100 percent of the City’s water demand in the event that precautionary measures ever need to be put in place,” per the release.

Michael Connors, a spokesperson for Harvard Campus Services, wrote in an email to The Crimson that Harvard Landscape Services had already been shutting down irrigation systems for the season, but had expedited the process after the drought was declared. All watering has stopped as of Friday.

The state is also warning residents and businesses about potential wildfires due to dry conditions and imposing similar restrictions on outdoor burning.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation is set to implement a “temporary ban on all open flame and charcoal fires within state park properties.” On private property, residents are encouraged to exercise caution with grills and open flames.

The announcement comes with a “red flag warning” — indicating the potential for rapid fire expansion — issued by the National Weather Service in Massachusetts Friday.

Massachusetts Emergency Management Director Dawn Brantley said the region was in a “historic fall fire season” as a result of the drought. Diminished water supply could also threaten the state’s ability to fight wildfires.

“In October, Massachusetts experienced 203 brush fires across the state, many in populated areas. The historic average for October is only 15,” she said in a press release. Cambridge residents briefly saw the effects of those fires late last month when many woke up to the smell of smoke across the city.

—Staff writer Jack R. Trapanick can be reached at jack.trapanick@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @jackrtrapanick.

—Staff writer Grace E. Yoon can be reached at grace.yoon@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @graceunkyoon.