After a 10 year lull, development is once again increasing rapidly in the region, causing new water demand to increase. Due to the critical importance of the river to our communities, the Ipswich River Watershed Association is announcing its Net Zero Water Use Policy. The policy advises that every development project that utilizes water from the Ipswich River watershed does not increase water use above existing levels, resulting in “net zero” water use. The organization recommends that all cities and towns using Ipswich River water supplies adopt the Net Zero Policy to minimize new water demand when approving projects on both public and private water systems.
For many years, the Ipswich River has had the distinction of being the most flow-depleted river in Massachusetts. The river suffers from perennial low flow conditions particularly in the summer and during droughts; this low flow challenges the reliability of our public drinking water supplies, as well as negatively impacting the river and its ecosystem.
A mandatory Safe Yield* has been determined by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for all the rivers in the state including the Ipswich. “Safe Yield” is defined as the amount of water that can be removed from the watershed without risking the reliability of water supplies and the health of the ecosystem. The amount of water determined to be the Safe Yield for the Ipswich River Basin is below the volume of the existing approved water withdrawals from the watershed. As a result, any future additional water use in the Ipswich River watershed must remain under the current allocations forever.
Communities that depend on the river for their drinking water need to plan for a future with a limited water supply. Over the longer term we’ll need to reduce water use overall by enhancing comprehensive water conservation strategies across the region. We will need to work together to share water across town boundaries, import less damaging alternative sources, and/or increase storage within the watershed. The investment in time and resources will be well worth making to protect the river and increase the resiliency of our water supplies for the future.
To assist communities with developing the program and regulations to implement this new Net Zero Water Use policy, the Ipswich River Watershed Association is developing a comprehensive toolkit and technical services program to support water neutral growth within the 13 cities and towns that depend on Ipswich River water to help institute these practices.
According to Executive Director Wayne Castonguay, “For too long, the Ipswich River has suffered from excessive water withdrawals and inefficient water use. Now that the river’s Safe Yield is exceeded and the threat of climate change is exacerbating the problem, new development should not be allowed at the expense of our limited and threatened water supplies. Thankfully, we have shown that new development can be accommodated without increasing overall water demand. Water is by far our most important human need. All of us should work together to achieve Net Zero Water Use as our communities grow and develop, and, over time, reduce water use overall. The future of the river and our communities depends on it.”
*Safe Yield defined at: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/sustainable-water-management-initiative