Worcester's drought is over, city manager says
Courtesy City of Worcester
City Manager Ed Augustus Jr. stands in one of the city's reservoirs in 2016.
As a result of steady rain in the area over the past few weeks, Worcester is finally out of an eight-month drought.
Steady precipitation has improved the city’s reservoir capacity, according to a Monday announcement from the city manager’s office. Worcester’s reservoir system reached an overall capacity of 96.3 percent on May 1, compared to the normal May 1 average of 100 percent.
Average daily water consumption for the year has remained below comparable monthly 10-year averages, according to Augustus’ office.
“I want to thank our residents and water users for stepping up and practicing wise water usage throughout the past year,” he said. “Let’s continue to conserve as we move through the coming months.”
In September, reservoir levels fell to about 50 percent capacity, and a Stage 3 drought declaration was issued, leading to the city implementing water restrictions against businesses.
The problem got worse in 2016 after a series of dry months. Reservoirs began to recover over the winter, and Worcester was upgraded to a Stage 2 drought level in January, followed by Stage 1 in March.
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