The City of Dover will continue mandatory water restrictions to allow recovery of the aquifers the city relies on for public drinking water.
City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr. declared a water emergency and instituted mandatory water restrictions on Aug. 22, 2022. The declaration occurred when the city was in the third week of severe drought conditions determined by the U.S. Drought Monitor.
While precipitation has increased since late August, overall, annual accumulation levels remain under normal, according to National Weather Service data. The rain has improved Dover’s drought conditions, but it is still considered to be in a moderate drought.
Community Services Director John Storer recommended continuing the mandatory water restrictions after meeting last week with hydrologists with the city’s groundwater consultant firm, Emery & Garrett, Ground Water Investigations, a division of GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc.
The hydrologists noted there has not yet been a marked improvement in aquifer levels despite recent precipitation, as it can take weeks to months for rainwater to seep into the aquifers and raise its levels. Challenging the city's water supply is reduced output from Willand Pond due to a pump failure at one of the pond's two well pumps last month. The replacement pump and motor is on order. As preventative maintenance, the other well pump was taken offline, inspected and cleaned. That well pump is now online, but capacity remains limited. The Pudding Hill aquifer also remains offline and reserved for emergency use until the new water treatment plant is operational, which is expected early in 2024.
Because of the drought, the city does not plan to conduct fire hydrant flushing this fall.
For more information, contact Community Services at 603-516-6450.
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