[HISTORY: Adopted by the Annual Town Meeting of the Town of Nantucket
4-12-1999 by Art. 68, approved 8-10-1999. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 4-15-2003 ATM by Art. 26, approved 8-27-2003]
This chapter is adopted by the Town under its police powers to protect
public health and welfare and its powers under MGL c. 40, § 21 et
seq., and Section 1 of Chapter 307 of the Acts of 1925 as amended by Chapter
436 of the Acts of 1963 and Chapter 476 of the Acts of 1987 and implements
the Town's authority to regulate water use pursuant to MGL c. 40, § 41A,
conditioned upon a declaration of water supply emergency issued by the Department
of Environmental Protection.
The purpose of this chapter is to protect, preserve and maintain the
public health, safety and welfare whenever there is in force a state of water
supply conservation or state of water supply emergency by providing for enforcement
of any duly imposed restrictions, requirements, provisions or conditions imposed
by the Town or by the Department of Environmental Protection.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
Any individual, corporation, trust, partnership or association, or
other entity.
A state of water supply conservation declared by the Town pursuant to § 114-4 of this chapter.
A state of water supply emergency declared by the Department of Environmental
Protection under MGL c. 21G, §§ 15 through 17.
All public and private users of the Town's public water system, irrespective
of any person's responsibility for billing purposes for water used at any
particular facility.
The Town, through either the Nantucket Board of Water Commissioners or the Siasconset Board of Water Commissioners, may declare a state of water supply conservation, for the area served by that Water Commission, upon a determination by a majority vote of the Board that a shortage of water exists and conservation measures are appropriate to ensure an adequate supply of water to all water consumers. Public notice of a state of water supply conservation shall be given under § 114-6 of this chapter before it may be enforced.
A declaration of a state of water supply conservation shall include one or more of the following restrictions, conditions, or requirements limiting the use of water as necessary to protect the water supply. The applicable restrictions, conditions or requirements shall be included in the public notice required under § 114-6.
A.
Odd-/even-day outdoor watering. Outdoor watering by water
users with odd-numbered addresses is restricted to odd-numbered days. Outdoor
watering by water users with even-numbered addresses is restricted to even-numbered
days.
B.
Outdoor watering ban. Outdoor watering is prohibited.
C.
Outdoor watering hours. Outdoor watering is permitted
only during daily periods of low demand, to be specified in the declaration
of a state of water supply conservation and public notice thereof.
D.
Automatic sprinkler use. The use of automatic sprinkler
systems is prohibited.
Notification of any provision, restriction, requirement or condition imposed by the Town as part of a state of water supply conservation shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the Town, or by such other means reasonably calculated to reach and inform all users of water of the state of water supply conservation. Any restriction imposed under § 114-5 of this chapter shall not be effective until such notification is provided. Notification of the state of water supply conservation shall also be simultaneously provided to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
A state of water supply conservation may be terminated by a majority vote of the Board of Water Commissioners, upon a determination that the water supply shortage no longer exists. Public notification of the termination of a state of water supply conservation shall be given in the same manner required by § 114-6.
Upon notification to the public that a declaration of a state of water
supply emergency has been issued by the DEP, no person shall violate any provision,
restriction, requirement, condition of any order approved or issued by the
Department intended to bring about an end to the state of emergency.
Any person violating this chapter shall be liable to the Town in the amount of $50 for the first violation and $100 for each subsequent violation which shall inure to the Town for such uses as the Board of Water Commissioners having jurisdiction may direct. Penalties shall be recovered on complaint before the District Court or such other procedure as may be available, or by noncriminal disposition in accordance with Chapter 1, §§ 1-2 through 1-6 of the Code of the Town of Nantucket implementing MGL c. 40, § 21D. Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense.
