About the Watershed
Permitted Water Withdrawals
The Ipswich River’s water deficit is increasing, due to unsustainable management, development and landscaping practices. Two areas where the trend is worsening are summertime lawnwatering (where 15 million gallons a day are lost to evapotranspiration),and sanitary sewers, which export both dirty wastewater and clean groundwater from the watershed. The result, The Ipswich River is one of the most flow stressed rivers in the United States, going dry roughly every other year the past decade.
Municipal
Water Use:
Town |
Type
of Withdrawal |
Where
taken from? |
#
days permitted |
Volume
permitted* |
|
Beverly
(see Salem & Beverly) |
|
|
|
|
|
Boxford
|
Private
groundwater |
Throughout
town |
|
|
|
Danvers
Water Department
(also supplies Middleton) |
3
surface water, 2 groundwater |
Middleton
Pond, Emerson Brook Res., Swan Pond, Wells 1 & 2
|
365
|
3.72 |
|
Hamilton
Water Department |
5
groundwater |
Patton,
Idlewood 1 & 2, School St., Caisson Wells |
365 |
1.03 |
|
Ipswich
Water Department |
5
groundwater |
Winthrop
1, 2 & 3, Fellows Rd., Essex Rd. wells; reservoirs
in Parker Basin |
365
|
0.2 |
|
Lynn
Water & Sewer Commission* |
1
surface water** |
Divert
Ipswich River in Lynnfield, add'l supply from No. Coastal
Basin, add'l supply from MWRA |
180**
|
2.62** |
|
Lynnfield
Center Water District |
2
groundwater |
Glen
Dr. bedrock well, Station 2 well |
365
|
0.29 |
|
Middleton
(see Danvers) |
|
|
|
|
|
North
Reading Water Department |
8
groundwater |
Rt.
62 Well 1&2; Lakeside 2,3,4; Central St. grav &
tubular, Rt. 125 wells |
365 |
1.11 |
|
Peabody
Department of Public Services |
3
surface water, 2 groundwater |
Divert
Ipswich River in Peabody, Suntaug Lake, Winona Pond,
Pine St. & Johnson St. wells, add'l supply from
No. Coastal Basin, add'l supply from MWRA |
365 |
3.89 |
|
Reading
DPW***
|
9
groundwater |
Revay
Well, 8 Gravel wells off Strout Ave. adjacent to river
(Town Forest)
|
365
|
2.57 |
|
Salem
& Beverly Water Supply Board |
4
surface water |
Divert
Ipswich River in Topsfield; Putnamville Res., Wenham
Lake, Longham Res. |
365
|
11.31 |
|
Topsfield
Water Department |
2
groundwater |
Perkins
Row, North St. wells |
365
|
0.6 |
|
Wenham
Water Department |
2
groundwater |
Pleasant
St. Wells 1 & 2 |
365
|
0.39 |
|
Wilmington
Water Department |
8
groundwater |
Chestnut
St., Browns Well, Salem St., Barrows, Town Park, Butter's
Row 1&2, Shawsheen Ave. |
365
|
3.36 |
|
Total
authorized municipal withdrawals |
|
|
|
32.00 |
Non-Municipal
Water Use:
Non-Municipal
Water User |
Type
of Withdrawal |
Where
taken from? |
#
days permitted |
Volume
permitted* |
| Myopia
Hunt Club |
1
surface water |
Miles River, Hamilton |
210
|
0.17 |
| Corliss
Brothers, Inc. |
1
surface water |
Pond,
Ipswich |
147
|
0.22
|
| Sagamore
Spring Golf Club, Inc. |
2
surface water,
3 groundwater |
Lynnfield
|
122 |
0.12 |
| Bostik
Division-Emhart Corporation |
3
surface water,
3 groundwater |
Boston
St., Middleton |
365 |
0.79 |
| The
Flatley Co.-Ferncroft C. C. |
1
surface water |
Off
Locust St., Danvers |
153 |
0.12 |
| Thomson
Club Inc. |
2
surface water,
1 groundwater |
Rt.
62, North Reading bedrock well |
210
|
0.15 |
| Meadow
Brook Golf Club |
1
surface water,
1 groundwater |
Grove
St., Reading |
90
|
0.16
|
| Total
non-municipal |
|
|
|
1.73
|
| Total
municipal and non-municipal authorized withdrawals |
75
sources |
|
|
33.73 |
*Figures
in this column represent the number of millions of gallons
per day (mgd) that may be withdrawn from the Ipswich River Basin.
**Lynn
is authorized to withdraw an average of 5.31 mgd from Dec 1-May 31 only. The authorized withdrawal has been
annualized to allow calculation/comparison of average year-round
withdrawals. Lynn's additional permitted volumes are adjusted
in the same way.
***Reading stopped pumping water from their Ipswich wells in late 2006. Reading's wells are now available as an emergency supply only. See our Fall 2006 newsletter (pdf) for a story on this important decision to restore flow to the Ipswich River.
In 2006, new water conservation standards were published by the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs (EOEA) and the Water Resources Commission. These standards establish updated goals for water use efficiency and conservation and offer techniques to water suppliers, municipalities, and citizens.
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