The Board of Selectmen OK’d allowing the town to implement higher water restrictions if and when they are needed during its Tuesday, June 25, meeting.
Town Engineer, Elvis Dhima, explained that town of Hudson water customers are advised at this time to water their lawns on odd/ even days from midnight to 7 a.m. “per Tier 1 requirements, which takes place automatically on May 1st through October 1st.”
“This is not applicable to private well owners,” Dhima wrote.
He explained that they recently lost one of the wells in Litchfield due to PFOAS.
“We shut that off before the rules kicked in and we’ve been dealing with relying on our one well that’s left,” Dhima said during the meeting.
Specifically, during the summer months, one of the concerns is about whether or not they get to a level where they need to limit water use, due to the amount of water they have. Dhima noted last summer it wasn’t an issue due to the amount of rain there was.
He explained during the meeting, that if they have to make quick decisions because something goes wrong, and there is low water supply in the tanks, the first thing they need to be able to do is cut off irrigation right away.
“Our rules in place allow us to do that through tier II and tier III,” Dhima said.
He explained that right now it is essentially only advisory, but tier II would be a mandatory odd-even schedule and tier III would be a total ban.
“The town could implement Tier II, which is a mandatory odd/even days, or Tier III, which is a total ban on outside water usage, if necessary while dealing with extreme weather or major water main breaks during high water demand periods,” Dhima wrote in a memo to the Board of Selectmen.
He added: “Due to the current extreme weather, unforeseen situations such as a water main break, and being abundantly cautious, it is important to have Tier II & Tier III ready to be utilized if and when necessary.”
In terms of implementation, Dhima explained that it would be through a red alert notification to the customers, “which is done through text, email, and a phone call and will remain in place until further notification,” he wrote.
“This will ensure we continue to provide domestic and fire protection throughout the water district,” Dhima wrote in a memo.
The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved authorizing the Town engineer to implement Tier II or Tier III, if it’s necessary, during the months of June, July, and August
The next Selectmen meeting is scheduled for July 9.
