State sets up $1m fund to help farms, businesses hit by drought
By Dylan McGuinness Globe Correspondent,September 8, 2016, 10:39 a.m.
Governor Charlie Baker announced Thursday the creation of a loan fund to help family farms and small businesses get through what officials have said is the state’s worst drought in decades.
The fund, operated by Massachusetts Growth Capital Corp., will provide up to $1 million in “micro-loans” to affected businesses, Baker’s office said in a statement.
“Like the emergency loan fund we launched following record snowstorms, this Drought Emergency Loan Fund will provide affordable working capital to small businesses grappling with the aftermath of extreme weather,” Baker said in the statement.
The loan announcement came as officials in Worcester and some surrounding communities, citing worsening conditions, said they would begin implementing new water-use restrictions, including on giving tap water to diners in restaurants and on outdoor watering.
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The emergency fund will provide loans between $5,000 and $10,000, according to Larry Andrews, president of Massachusetts Growth Capital, who said the corporation will rely on local partners to determine which businesses are in most need of the aid.
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“Our team will provide prompt review of each application and work to help local farmers in need,” he said.
When the corporation set up a similar fund for businesses affected by record snowfall two winters ago, it gave out $350,000 in loans and had no delinquencies or losses, Andrews said.
He said he hopes the drought fund will have similar success.
Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton said the fund would help get some farmers through the year.
“It’s not earth-shattering, but it can give this critical level of capital to folks to help them get by,” Beaton told the Globe. “That million dollars is probably going to go quick.”
The Drought Management Task Force met Thursday morning to assess how much the state’s dry conditions have worsened since its last meeting in August.
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The task force recommended that Beaton change the drought ranking in the southeastern part of the state from the “watch” category to the “warning” category, and shift Cape Cod and the islands from “advisory” to “watch.”
Beaton said through a spokesman that a decision would come soon, possibly as early as Friday, on whether to upgrade the state’s response.
“This is one of the more significant droughts that we’ve had,” Beaton said. “It’s sort of an unprecedented time and we haven’t seen anything like this in decades.”
More than 170 towns and cities in the state have issued either voluntary or mandatory restrictions on water use, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.
The city of Worcester issued a Stage 3 Drought Emergency on Thursday after the reservoir system that serves that city, as well as Holden, Paxton, and parts of West Boylston, was 55.1 percent full as of Sept. 1, according to the city’s website, with the average for that date being 81.7 percent full.
“The situation is getting very serious and we are now at the point of deciding which water uses have priority,” the city said on its website. “All outdoor water use is now banned. Water users are asked to find alternative water sources whenever possible.”
Residents in those communities were banned Thursday from all outdoor watering, except for using a watering can to water plants by hand, and from using water to wash cars, clean driveways, decks, and sidewalks, or filling swimming pools, the city said.
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The low levels of water in the system, including the Quinapoxet and Pine Hill reservoirs, triggered the city’s Drought Contingency Management plan, resulting in the declaration, according to the website.
Town-by-town water use restrictions
Town
Public Water Supplier
First Restriction Implemented
Restriction Level
Abington
Abington/Rockland Joint Water Works
8/15/2016
1 Day or Less
Acton
Water Supply District of Acton
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Adams
Adams Fire District
8/15/2016
1 Day or Less
Amherst
Amherst Water Dept.
7/25/2016
1 Day or Less
Andover
Andover DPW
7/25/2016
Voluntary
Ashburnham
Ashburnham Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Ashland
Howe Street Regional Water Plant
7/25/2016
1 Day or Less
Athol
Athol Water Dept.
6/16/2016
Mandatory
Attleboro
Attleboro Water Dept.
8/18/2016
1 Day or Less
Auburn
Auburn Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Avon
Avon Water Dept.
6/1/2016
Mandatory
Ayer
Ayer Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Barnstable
Hyannis Water Dept.
6/21/2016
Mandatory
Barnstable
Barnstable Fire District
8/17/2016
Voluntary
Barre
Barre Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Belchertown
Belchertown Water District
6/9/2016
Voluntary
Bellingham
Bellingham Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Billerica
Billerica Water Works
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Blackstone
Blackstone Water Dept.
6/1/2016
Mandatory
Bridgewater
Bridgewater DPW
6/18/2016
1 Day or Less
East Bridgewater
East Bridgewater DPW
6/17/2016
Mandatory
West Bridgewater
West Bridgewater DPW
8/30/2016
Mandatory
Bourne
North Sagamore Water District
6/15/2016
Voluntary
Bourne
Buzzards Bay Water District
7/29/2016
Voluntary
Boylston
Boylston Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Braintree
Tri-Town Water board
7/25/2016
1 Day or Less
Brockton
Brockton Water Dept.
8/30/2016
1 Day or Less
Burlington
Burlington Water Department
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Byfield
Byfield Water District
5/18/2016
Mandatory
Canton
Canton Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Chatham
Chatham Water District
6/15/2016
Voluntary
Chelmsford
Chelmsford Water District
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Cheshire
Cheshire Water Dept.
7/19/2016
1 Day or Less
Cohasset
Cohasset Water Dept.
7/1/2016
Mandatory
Cohasset
Aquarion Water Co.
7/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Concord
Concord Water Dept.
6/27/2016
1 Day or Less
Cotuit
Cotuit Water Department
8/15/2016
Voluntary
North Chelmsford
North Chelmsford Water District
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Danvers
Danvers Water Division
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Dartmouth
Dartmouth Water Division
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Dedham
Dedham-Westwood Water District
6/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Devens
MassDevelopment
5/16/2016
Mandatory
Douglas
Douglas Water and Sewer
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Dover
Colonial Water Co.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Duxbury
Duxbury Water Dept.
6/28/2016
Mandatory
Easthampton
Easthampton Water Dept.
7/7/2016
1 Day or Less
Easton
Easton Water Division
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Essex
Essex Water Department
7/11/2016
1 Day or Less
Fitchburg
Fitchburg Water Dept.
5/19/2016
Mandatory
Foxborough
Foxborough Water and Sewer Comm.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Franklin
Franklin Water Dept.
6/6/2016
1 Day or Less
Gardner
Gardner Water Dept.
5/30/2016
Mandatory
Georgetown
Georgetown Water Dept.
5/18/2016
Mandatory
Gloucester
Gloucester Water Dept.
8/22/2016
1 Day or Less
Grafton
South Grafton Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Grafton
Grafton Water District
1/1/2016
Mandatory
Greenfield
Greenfield DPW
8/19/2016
Voluntary
Groton
West Groton Water Supply District
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Groton
Groton Water Department
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Groveland
Groveland Water and Sewer
8/17/2016
Mandatory
Hadley
Hadley DPW Water Division
7/27/2016
Mandatory
Halifax
Halifax Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Hamilton
Hamilton Water Dept.
6/8/2016
1 Day or Less
Hanover
Hanover Water Dept.
8/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Hanson
Hanson DPW
3/8/2016
1 Day or Less
Harwich
Harwick Water Dept.
7/7/2016
Voluntary
Hatfield
Hatfield Water Dept.
6/1/2016
Voluntary
Haverhill
Haverhill Water Dept.
7/28/2016
Voluntary
Hingham
Aquarion Water Co.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Holbrook
Tri-Town Water board
7/25/2016
1 Day or Less
Holden
Holden DPW
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Holliston
Holliston Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Hopedale
Hopedale Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Hopkinton
Hopkinton Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Hudson
Hudson Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Hull
Aquarion Water Co.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Ipswich
Ipswich Water Dept.
6/20/2016
1 Day or Less
Kingston
Kingston Water Dept.
6/15/2016
Mandatory
Leicester
Cherry Valley and Rochdale Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Leicester
Hillcrest Water District
8/1/2016
Mandatory
Lincoln
Lincoln Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Littleton
Littleton Water Department
5/24/2016
Mandatory
Lunenburg
Lunenburg Water District
5/24/2016
Mandatory
Lynn
Lynn Water Dept.
8/24/2016
Voluntary
Lynnfield
Lynnfield Center Water District
1/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Manchester
Manchester Water Dept.
7/18/2016
1 Day or Less
Mansfield
Mansfield Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Marion
Marion Water Division
6/15/2016
Mandatory
Marlborough
Marlborough DPW Water Division
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Mattapoisett
Mattapoisett Water Dept.
9/1/2016
Voluntary
Maynard
Maynard Dept. of Public Works
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Medfield
Medfield Water Dept.
6/2/2016
1 Day or Less
Medway
Medway Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Merrimac
Merrimac Water Depart.
7/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Middleborough
Middleborough Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Middleton
Middleton Water Dept.
8/9/2016
1 Day or Less
Milford
Milford Water Co.
5/18/2016
1 Day or Less
Millbury
Aquarion Water Co.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Millis
Millis Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Natick
Natick Water Division
6/22/2016
1 Day or Less
Needham
Needham Water Dept.
5/2/2016
1 Day or Less
Newburyport
Newburyport Water Works
7/21/2016
Voluntary
Norfolk
Norfolk Dept. of Public Works
1/1/2016
1 Day or Less
N. Attleborough
North Attleborough Water Division
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
North Reading
North Reading DPW
6/13/2016
Mandatory
Northampton
Northampton Water Dept.
6/21/2016
Mandatory
Northbridge
Whitinsville Water Dist.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Norton
Norton Water Department
1/1/2016
Mandatory
Norwell
Norwell Water Dept.
6/6/2016
1 Day or Less
Oak Bluffs
Oak Bluffs Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Orange
Orange Water Dept.
6/15/2016
Mandatory
Oxford
Aquarion Water Co.
8/18/2016
Voluntary
Paxton
Paxton Water Dept.
7/22/2016
Mandatory
Peabody
Peabody Water Dept.
7/7/2016
Mandatory
Pepperell
Pepperell Water Division
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Plainville
Plainville Water Dept.
7/18/2016
Mandatory
Plymouth
Plymouth Water Company
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Plymouth
Plymouth DPW Water Division
7/12/2016
1 Day or Less
Plymouth
Pinehills Water Co.
8/6/2016
Mandatory
Provincetown
Provincetown Water Dept.
6/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Randolph
Tri-Town Water board
7/25/2016
1 Day or Less
Raynham
North Raynham Water District
6/6/2016
Mandatory
Raynham
Raynham Center Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Reading
Reading Water Dept.
1/1/2016
Mandatory
Rockland
Abington/Rockland Joint Water Works
8/15/2016
1 Day or Less
Rockport
Rockport Water Dept.
7/14/2016
1 Day or Less
Rowley
Rowley Water Department
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Rutland
Rutland Water Dept.
6/6/2016
1 Day or Less
Salisbury
Salisbury Water Dept.
6/6/2016
Mandatory
Scituate
Scituate Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Seekonk
Seekonk Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Sharon
Sharon Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Shelburne
Shelburne Falls Fire District
6/20/2016
Mandatory
Shirley
Shirley Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Southampton
Southampton Water Dept.
6/27/2016
Voluntary
Southbridge
Southbridge Water Dept.
8/19/2016
1 Day or Less
Southwick
Southwick Water Dept.
6/15/2016
1 Day or Less
Spencer
Spencer Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Sterling
Sterling Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Sturbridge
Sturbridge Water Dept.
5/23/2016
Mandatory
Sudbury
Sudbury Water District
5/18/2016
1 Day or Less
Sutton
Wilkinsonville Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Swansea
Swansea Water District
5/20/2016
Mandatory
Taunton
Taunton Water Dept.
5/21/2016
Mandatory
Templeton
Templeton Light and Water
6/17/2016
Mandatory
Topsfield
Topsfield Water Dept.
5/26/2016
1 Day or Less
Townsend
Townsend Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Upton
Upton Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Uxbridge
Uxbridge Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Walpole
Walpole Water Dept.
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Ware
Ware Water Dept.
5/20/2016
Mandatory
Wareham
Onset Fire and Water District
5/1/2016
Mandatory
Warren
Warren Fire District
6/6/2016
Mandatory
Wayland
Wayland Water Division
6/6/2016
1 Day or Less
Webster
Webster DPW
8/16/2016
Mandatory
Wellesley
Wellesley College
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Wellesley
Wellesley DPW
8/1/2016
Voluntary
Wenham
Wenham Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Westborough
Westborough Dept. of Public Works
5/31/2016
1 Day or Less
Westfield
Westfield Water Dept.
6/27/2016
Mandatory
Westford
Westford Water Dept.
6/3/2016
1 Day or Less
Westminster
Westminster DPW
8/9/2016
Voluntary
Westwood
Dedham-Westwood Water District
6/1/2016
1 Day or Less
West Boylston
West Boylston Water District
6/1/2016
Mandatory
West Brookfield
West Brookfield Water Dept.
5/30/2016
1 Day or Less
West Newbury
West Newbury Water Dept.
5/1/2016
1 Day or Less
West Springfield
West Springfield DPW
8/15/2016
Mandatory
Weymouth
Weymouth Water Dept.
7/18/2016
1 Day or Less
Whitman
Whitman Water Dept.
8/30/2016
1 Day or Less
Williamstown
Williamstown Water Dept.
7/1/2016
Mandatory
Wilmington
Wilmington Water Dept.
1/1/2016
1 Day or Less
Winchendon
Winchendon Water Dept.
8/24/2016
1 Day or Less
Woburn
Woburn DPW
8/15/2016
Mandatory
Worcester
Worcester DPW
1/11/2016
Mandatory
Wrentham
Wrentham Water Division
1/1/2016
1 Day or Less
SOURCE: Mass. Energy and Environmental Affairs
Globe correspondent Reenat Sinay contributed to this report and material from the State House News Service was included. Dylan McGuinness can be reached at dylan.mcguinness@globe.com.