PEABODY — Mayor Ted Bettencourt has issued a temporary ban on outdoor water usage, as the city waits for state authorities to sign off on bringing one of its two water treatment plants back online.
The ban went into effect on Monday, following a period of heavy water usage attributed to the preceding period of warm weather. Although the city’s water tanks often fill rapidly, Bettencourt informed residents in a robocall that the city can only utilize one of its water treatment plants at this time.
Peabody’s Winona Water Treatment Plant on Butternut Avenue was recently rebuilt as part of an infrastructure upgrade. The $20 million project was completed on time, but the plant is still awaiting authorization by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
“Down one treatment plant, the water storage tanks remain low, which affects water pressure to many of your homes,” Bettencourt explained. “Low tank levels could also jeopardize our ability to respond to fire emergencies.”
Examples of temporarily banned water use include using lawn sprinklers and washing cars, which were both prominent over the weekend preceding the mayor’s announcement.
“Once the DEP approves use of the Winona Plant, a decision we expect very soon, I will contact you again to rescind this temporary water ban,” the mayor said. “Thank you for helping to maintain our water supply and keep our community safe.”
The Winona plant project was a major piece of a series of water infrastructure projects that totaled about $36 million and included new water lines connecting the Coolidge Avenue treatment plant in South Peabody to homes and businesses in West Peabody, and a new water booster pump near the high school in the woods off Baldwin Street.
