{"id":532076,"date":"2026-03-19T03:47:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/532076\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T03:47:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:47:07","slug":"worcester-restricts-outdoor-water-use-as-mass-drought-deepens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/532076\/","title":{"rendered":"Worcester restricts outdoor water use as Mass. drought deepens"},"content":{"rendered":"

City officials in Worcester announced a ban on nonessential outdoor water use on Wednesday, as central Massachusetts deals with critical drought status<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a statement posted to social media, the city also ordered golf course operators to reduce irrigation of fairways to 40 percent of normal levels. Operators are also barred from irrigating roughs, landscaping, and ornamentals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn current conditions, even average daily water usage in combination with a lack of rainfall leads to depletion of the water supply,\u201d the city wrote on its website. \u201cConserving water doesn\u2019t just mean using less water, it also means using water more efficiently and YOU can make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

State officials have warned of worsening drought conditions in certain parts of the state, despite record levels of snowfall this winter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On March 9, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority declared a Level 3 Critical Drought in the central region of Massachusetts, which is made up of Worcester County. <\/p>\n

The MWRA also declared northeastern Massachusetts to be facing critical drought conditions. Officials in Cambridge<\/a> and Hopkinton<\/a> have announced similar restrictions on nonessential outdoor water usage within recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Lower-level drought has spread across the state except for Martha\u2019s Vineyard, according to the state\u2019s online drought monitor.<\/p>\n

Other parts of New England, such as New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont<\/a>, have seen limited improvement from the \u201cextreme drought\u201d status several months ago<\/a>,<\/p>\n

The MWRA could not immediately be reached for comment. <\/p>\n

Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq<\/a> and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n