Attleboro facing water supply emergency as drought drags on

ATTLEBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — The city of Attleboro is at serious risk of depleting its water supply, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Attleboro residents are urged to continue conserving water as the city suffers historically low reservoir levels due to a lack of seasonal rainfall, which is relied on for their water supply. The DEP has issued a water supply emergency for the city as a result.

"We are asking all residents and businesses to conserve indoor water use as much as safely possible," Attleboro Water Superintendent Kourtney Allen said.

RELATED: Attleboro setting up emergency water line with Pawtucket to boost supply

Allen said the emergency declaration will allow the city to more quickly establish its interconnection line with the nearby town of Mansfield. The interconnection is expected to supply Attleboro with between 250 and 500 gallons of water per day.

"The water we receive from Mansfield will help buy us time as continue our conservation measures and wait for much-needed rain," Allen explained.

The Mansfield interconnection is expected to be operational within the next week. Allen said that interconnection will consist of a "temporary above-ground hydrant-to-hydrant hose connection, which will be replaced by an underground permanent connection that will be built within the next six-to-eight months."

The cost to install that permanent interconnection will be "a shared effort: between Attleboro and Mansfield, Allen added.

More Information: Attleboro Water Restrictions

Attleboro is also working to establish an interconnection over the state line with the city of Pawtucket. Allen said that interconnection will be up and running by early December and will provide the city with up to 1 million gallons of water per day for roughly $35,000 a week.

Mayor Cathleen DeSimone stressed the importance of residents practicing continued water conservation, explaining that it is "require to slow the depletion rate of the stored water in city reservoirs and to postpone the threat of a more serious water shortage."

"If everyone makes even small changes, like turning off the faucet when washing hands, brushing teeth and doing dishes, we can save thousands of gallons of water every day," DeSimone said. "If more people run their washers and dishwashers only when full and take shorter showers, taken together that can make a huge impact."

"We are in a serious critical drought situation, and we all need to do our part to conserve water," she continued.

SEE ALSO: Healey asks Massachusetts to conserve water amid drought

The dangerously dry conditions have also put fire departments statewide on high alert, as the Commonwealth contends with an unprecedented number of brush fires.

The DEP generally prohibits outdoor burning statewide between Jan. 15 and May 1. Right now, Massachusetts Department of Fire Services' Jake Wark said more than 200 cities and towns have issued their own burn bans.

"Every firefighter battling a preventable wildfire is one who can't respond to a house fire, car crash, or medical emergency," Wark said. "We won't be out of the woods until we have a few days of steady, soaking rain that gets past the surface fuels and deep into the ground."

The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services reported that the Bay State saw a 1,200% increase in brush fires last month.

Wark said the state has already seen more than 400 brush fires this month. That number is expected to climb, especially with nearly the entire state experiencing critical drought conditions.

"The fires in this unprecedented fall fire season have burned more than 1,700 acres – exceeding the acreage that burned in all of 2023," Wark added.

Anyone who notices flames, smoke or other signs of a brush fire is urged to call it in immediately so firefighters can investigate and contain it as quickly as possible.

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