Massachusetts Water Conservation Standards

In 1992 the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission adopted water conservation standards for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The stated goal of these standards is, “fostering policies and practical recommendations that will assist public and private water utilities in achieving the maximum possible efficiency in their water systems and in encouraging increasing efficiency by consumers.”

The water conservation standards provide specific guidance in a number of areas, including:

• Public Education
• Leak detection and repair
• Metering
• Pricing
• Residential water use
• Public sector water use
• Industrial, commercial, and institutional water use
• Water supply system management

Massachusetts Lawn and Landscaping Water Conservation Guidelines
The Massachusetts Water Resources Commission has recently developed a draft Policy on Lawn and Landscape Water Conservation and a draft Guide to Lawn and Landscape Water Conservation. This policy and guide have been prepared in response growing summer water use. The Introduction to the draft guide notes: “Because lawn and landscape watering is a substantial source of summertime water consumption in many areas of the state, and because it is a non-essential use of water, reducing the amount of water used for lawn and landscape maintenance is key to protecting water supplies for current and future use and for protecting natural resources.”

The stated objectives of the policy are:

• To protect the Commonwealth’s water resources so that they may continue to benefit the citizens of the Commonwealth in a manner compatible with protecting our natural resources.
• To promote public awareness of the impacts of excessive water use and of appropriate landscaping and lawn water conservation practices and to provide guidelines to minimize the amount of water used for lawn and landscape watering and irrigation purposes.
• To encourage water suppliers and municipalities to develop drought and water shortage plans and related enforceable water use restrictions to provide for the effective management of public water supplies to meet current and future needs while protecting environmental resources.
• To encourage all citizens to minimize water use related to landscape needs and to ensure that communities abide by water restrictions imposed by water suppliers and communities.