Scituate Asks Residents To Limit Showers Due To Drought

SCITUATE (CBS) - It's been a tough summer for lawns across New England, but it just got tougher for grass in Scituate as there is now a total outside watering ban.

"I've never seen a summer like this one, and we've been here since the late 60's, and it's never been like this," says Scituate's Special Projects Director, Al Bangert.

He was standing near one of the town's main reservoirs, which supplies nearly a third of the town's water. The scene was stark, looking like a moonscape. Where water should be, boulders and stumps were exposed, and grass grew in the mud.

In the summer, the town's population almost doubles and so does water usage, putting an immense strain on wells and reservoirs. But even after the population goes down, the water ban will still be in effect. Any violators will face a fine by the town.

"We're looking for relief in the fact that after Labor Day the population goes down significantly. In the past, people began irrigating their lawns right after Labor Day. This year with the total water ban that will not be allowed," says Bangert.

All across the state, lawns are brown and local resident Paul Fitzgibbon's plants haven't flowered, but he's OK with it.

"Up in the shrubs seem to be holding fairly well we hope they come back in the fall," he says.

At Kennedy's Country Gardens, they're stocking plants that don't require as much water and they're selling rain recovery systems. But this drought has taken a toll on the business.

Chris Kennedy said, "when people can't get water they get a little fearful of gardening and that's a natural thing but there are things we can counteract that with. You can plant things that don't need a lot of water."

Scituate's website urged residents to conserve water, limit showers, and to only run the dishwasher when full.

With any luck, autumn rains will fill up one of the town's main reservoirs, however Scituate's water restrictions will continue through the fall.