The Haverhill Water Division Declares Drought Emergency

The City of Haverhill Declares Drought Emergency

Haverhill, MA — December 17, 2025 — The City of Haverhill and the region are still experiencing the effects of an extended dry period and drought.

As of December 10, 2025, the northeast region of Massachusetts continued to be in a Level 1 – Mild Drought as declared by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).  More information on MassDEP’s drought declaration can be found on the web at https://www.mass.gov/info-details/drought-status.

On a local level, the lack of precipitation has caused Kenoza Lake to reenter the drought emergency status requiring the declaration of a drought emergency effective December 16, 2025.  The drought emergency declaration is in accordance with § 250-25.1 of Haverhill’s Water Use Restriction Ordinance.  Haverhill’s drought emergency status is determined when Kenoza Lake, the City’s primary reservoir is between 20% and 35% below the average reservoir capacity on any particular day.  As of December 10, 2025, Kenoza Lake is 22.0% below average capacity.

Effective December 17, 2025, all non-essential outdoor water use is prohibited with the following exceptions defined in § 250-26.1.

1. Irrigation with harvested and stored stormwater runoff;
2. Water use for the purposes of agriculture;
3. To meet the core functions of a business (for example, snow and ice making for a commercial ski operation, irrigation by golf courses as necessary to maintain tees and greens, and limited fairway watering, or irrigation by plant nurseries or agricultural operations as necessary to maintain stock or establish new plantings, wash equipment to prevent damage and/or maintain performance, pest management and plant cooling).

In addition, we ask that all water customers enact indoor conservation measures such as,

• Fix any toilet or faucet leaks immediately.
• Run dishwashers and washing machines only on a full load.
• Take shorter showers or utilize the flow control feature built into many newer showerheads.
• Turn it off: Don’t let water run while brushing teeth, shaving, or washing dishes
• Using a commercial car wash where water is typically recycled.

For more information on the City’s Water Supply Status and Conservation Tips, please visit their website.