City of Dover urges voluntary water conservation as moderate drought conditions persist

posted on: 8/13/2020

As Dover and southern New Hampshire enter a third month of moderate drought conditions, the City is asking all water users to help conserve water. The voluntary conservation request is due to the severe lack of rainfall this spring and summer, and the reduced amount of snowfall last winter. Precipitation levels fall far short of the amount necessary to replenish the underground reservoirs from which the City draws its water.

The voluntary conservation request is the result of consultation with neighboring utilities and the State of New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). Moderate drought conditions have persisted in southern New Hampshire, including Dover, since June, according to NHDES. Current drought conditions can be found at https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dam/drought/drought-conditions.htm.

Conservation measures suggested by the NHDES and City staff include no outdoor water use except hand watering of vegetable gardens, flower gardens and new plantings, as well as shutting off automatic irrigation systems.

“We will continue to closely monitor drought conditions,” said Community Services Director John Storer. “For now, we’re asking people to be conservation minded with water use. If conditions do worsen, and voluntary measures are not effective, we may have to recommend more stringent water restrictions to the Dover Utilities Commission and City Council.”

Other ways to conserve water include:

Cut out non-essential uses such as outdoor water use for lawn watering, car washing and pressure washing.
Conserve water by cutting back on shower times, only doing full loads of laundry when necessary, and turning off the faucet while brushing teeth, doing dishes and washing hands.
Replace old water fixtures and appliances that are wasting water. Top-loading washing machines built before 2003 and toilets older than 1994 are known to be the largest water-wasting culprits in the home. Showerheads older than 1994 can also waste a great deal of water, as can older bathroom sink aerators. Selecting ENERGY STAR certified machines and replacing old water fixtures with EPA WaterSense certified fixtures is an easy way to ensure you are choosing products that will save water and perform. For guidance on selecting ENERGY STAR and WaterSense certified products and more water efficiency tips, see the NHDES water efficiency fact sheets at https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/commissioner/pip/factsheets/dwgb/index.htm#efficiency
Fix leaks, including running toilets. Running toilets can waste hundreds of gallons a day. Old and worn toilet flappers are often the culprit and are very easy to replace. Also, some toilet leaks can’t be heard.
Check for a leak by dropping food coloring (12 drops) or a leak detector dye tablet in the toilet tank. Do not flush for 15 or 20 minutes. If the dye shows up in the bowl, you know that your toilet is running.

Fire Chief Paul Haas added that drought conditions also present a fire danger, including wildfires.

“We encourage residents to use caution with any outdoor activities that can lead to fire,” Haas said. “Our mandatory burn permit process is a dependable way for residents to determine whether conditions are suitable for outdoor fires of any kind.”

Online burn permits are available at https://nhdflweb.sovsportsnet.net/. Select Dover from the list of communities.

The City’s water users can learn more about current drought conditions, outdoor water use restrictions, water efficiency tips, and drought guidance at https://www.des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dam/drought/index.htm.

For more information, contact Community Services at 516-6450.