MILFORD – “We’re finding that compliance isn’t quite being followed the way we would like,” director of water utilities Kevin Stetson said, of the town of Milford’s use of outdoor water during the current water ban, which was issued on June 20, 2020.

Based on data gathered on Tuesday at 7 a.m., the state department of environmental services said that the U.S. Drought Monitor, a joint venture with the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Drought Mitigation Center, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Weather Service, revealed that New Hampshire is experiencing D1 (moderate drought) and D2 (severe drought) conditions throughout the state.

Stetson said that there are several intricacies involved when examining drought conditions, and that Milford receives notifications from the New Hampshire department of environmental services.

“We’re heading towards a severe drought here,” he said. “We haven’t had the rain events to help us through that. With the Souhegan River, the NHDES will notify us because of the needs of the species in the river, that they monitor that flow.”

The drought management team, led by the NHDES, is comprised of key representatives across state government, academia, industry and other organizations.

On Sept. 3, the drought management team met to discuss drought conditions and impacts in the state. State climatologist Mary Stampone provided a briefing on the latest drought conditions and forecasts, which indicated that the drought will likely improve but persist across southeastern New Hampshire through September.

Stampone said the well-below average precipitation received in August caused drought conditions to deteriorate.

Stetson said that this year, southern New Hampshire saw drought conditions earlier than we usually experience.

“With that, as we were monitoring our water usage, we had found that there is quite a bit of water usage,” he said. “We find that with outside water use and lawn irrigation. And with our water conservation plan with the state, which has many pieces, we usually go into odd/even watering days where people with odd numbered addresses water one day and even the other day.”

Stampone added that recent rainfall and the precipitation forecast for the next two weeks will not be enough to make up for the precipitation deficit for the year.

Lake levels continue to fall and are at or near levels experienced in the 2016 drought. And while water supply restrictions are low, they currently have enough water to meet demands. Boaters and swimmers should take caution on recreation lakes, as hazards due to submerged obstructions are now closer to the surface.

Flow conditions are irregular in the state’s rivers and streams as a result of small storm providing brief relief to some parts of the state, but most of the state is experiencing below normal flows.

Stetson said the town of Milford will keep the outdoor water usage restrictions in place and the team continues to find that people are using outdoor water when they shouldn’t.

“We go on an honor system,” he said. “We inform people and let them know, but it’s not always complied with.”

The town does get to a point when recourse is necessary.

“We do,” Stetson added. “It’s a valuable resource. So, if we find that the honor system isn’t quite what it should be, we do look at whether we need to take more actions to help enforce the conservation of that water.”

Of the 31 monitoring wells across the state, the majority are much lower than normal, with water levels that dropped between July and August in all except one well. Largeground water permit holders are being held to permit conditions related to reducing withdrawals during drought and community water systems and have been urged to implement outdoor water use restrictions.

To date, 148 community water systems have implemented restrictions.

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