BOSTON — Droughts have become more frequent in recent years, and advocates and some lawmakers are seeking to give the governor’s administration the power to require regional water conservation during a declared drought.
Bills introduced in the state’s House and Senate would give the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs the authority to restrict outdoor watering. Water use for agriculture or businesses would be exempted.
“I think now is the time, especially as we’ve seen record drought facing us year after year after year, now is the time we really have the opportunity to make this case,” said Rep. Joan Meschino of Hull.
Similar legislation received a favorable report from the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources last year, and died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
“Our current approach to drought management is a confusing patchwork of conservation measures that have limited impact. One municipality may impose stringent water measures while its neighbor may require minimal water conservation, even though both withdraw water from the same struggling basin,” according to a fact sheet about the bill.
Meschino said the water conservation measures are important for “resilience,” “biodiversity,” and “climate mitigation.”
Drought extends and intensifies wildfire season and affect agriculture; river herring struggle in low stream flows and there can be fish kills during droughts, hurting commercial and recreational spaces; and cranberry bogs are particularly at risk of failure during a drought, according to the Massachusetts River Alliance.
Watershed groups lobbied at the State House Thursday for a variety of bills, with organizers calling the advocacy effort “especially important” because they are expecting Healey to soon unveil an environmental bond bill authorizing billions of dollars for state environmental efforts over the next five years.