The City of Haverhill Water Division Declares Drought Emergency

Haverhill, MA – March 18, 2025 – The City of Haverhill and the region are in the midst of an extremely dry period due to the lack of precipitation.  Effective March 19, 2025, the City is declaring a Drought Emergency in accordance with Chapter 250 of the City Code.  All non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited with the exceptions listed in the link below - allowed outdoor uses.

For more information, please click on the links below.

• Full notice - click here
• City Council Presentation- March 18, 2025
• Allowed Outdoor Uses
• Prohibited Outdoor Uses

In response to questions from several residents who asked about the outdoor water ban and their lawn irrigation system, we are providing the following note.

Although outdoor watering using automatic lawn irrigation systems is prohibited under the current drought emergency, landscaping companies are not prohibited from performing maintenance, repairs, testing, and adjustments to irrigation systems, provided there is no outdoor water use. These activities will not result in enforcement action as long as the systems are not discharging water outdoors.

We appreciate everyone’s continued cooperation in conserving water. As soon as changes are made to the current restrictions, updates will be posted on the city's website and shared with residents and businesses.