DUXBURY - June 8, 2026 - The Duxbury Selectboard, sitting as Water and Sewer Commissioners, voted unanimously on Monday night to implement an immediate, mandatory ban on all non-essential outdoor water use. The sweeping local emergency order responds to a freshly issued State declaration placing the region under a Level 2 Significant Drought. Effective immediately, lawn irrigation using town water is strictly prohibited, with violators facing escalating fines starting at $50.
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The sudden policy shift takes Duxbury from a two-day restricted watering schedule down to zero allowed days for standard lawn irrigation. Water Superintendent Mark Cloud briefed the board that the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force met earlier in the day, voting unanimously to escalate the region to a Level 2 Significant Drought due to prolonged dry conditions. Under state permit guidelines, the town has a strict 14-day window to comply with state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) enforcement mandates.
While automatic sprinklers and hoses left running on lawns are entirely restricted, the board carved out limited exemptions for public health, safety, and specific economic operations. Residents may still water vegetable gardens and livestock. Commercial operations like plant nurseries and golf courses can continue highly restricted watering to maintain minimal business functions, and local venues may utilize handheld hoses or drip irrigation to preserve event spaces.
Furthermore, Selectboard members clarified that personal flower pots and plantings can still be watered using a standard handheld hose device equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle. New lawn construction or stabilization following the replacement or repair of a Title V septic system is also permitted irrigation access. However, members noted that a pre-existing municipal moratorium on connecting new irrigation systems to town water means very few homes should qualify under the new construction clause.
