Mandatory Outdoor Water Use Ban in Effect:

Due to conditions set in the Town's water withdrawal permit and decreasing Ipswich River streamflows, a Mandatory Outdoor Water Use Ban is now in effect. Recent amendments to the Water Restriction Bylaw requiring private well owners adhere to the mandatory restirctions will not take affect until the changes are approved by the Attorney General later this summer. As a result, private well users are asked to follow these restrictions but are not required to at this time.

The restrictions are required because tbe average daily streamflow recorded at the USGS Ipswich Gauge Station has fallen below 52.5 cubic feet per second for three consectutive days. The need for the ban will be re-evaluated at the next Board of Water Commissioners' meeting in early July. Click here to view the public notice.

Ban Conditions:

Nonessential outdoor water use is prohibited between the hours of 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. and is limited to hand-held hoses only from 5 P.M. to 9 A.M. the following day. The use of automatic irrigation systems at any time is prohibited.

Chart Information:

This chart displays the average daily streamflow for the Ipswich River as recorded at the USGS gauge located in Ipswich, MA. The site has been in operation since the 1930s and is now equiped with satellite communications which posts a flow reading every 15 minutes. A mandatory water ban is required if the flow drops below 52.5 cubic feet per second (cfs) for three consecutive days.

2008 Schedule:

The Topsfield composting site will be open to Town residents every Saturday morning from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM beginning April 5th through November 29th. The composting site is located behind the Public Works Facility building on the northbound side of Route 1 between Route 97 and Ipswich Road.

Residents may drop-off leaves, brush, branches, and grass clippings only. Leaves and grass clippings must be kept separate from brush and branches. Stumps, logs, and branches larger than 4 inches in diameter may not be brought to the composting site. Barrels will be available for disposal of emptied leaf bags.

There is no charge for Topsfield residents to use the composting facility. Staff will be on-hand to direct and assist residents. Any questions concerning the composting operations please call Dave Bond, Highway Superintendent at (978) 887-1542.

Water Quality Report:

The water quality report for 2007 is available online. Copies will be mailed to all postal customers in Topsfield. Click here to view the web version.

Billing Schedule:

Beginning in July 2008, the majority of our customers will be billed on a quarterly basis. Each quarter contains 3 billing cycles. Cycle #1 customers will be billed in January, April, July and October. Cycle #2 customers will be billed in February, May, August and November. Cycle #3 customers will be billed in March, June, September and December. Please view the cycle map to see when you will receive your water bill.

Water Withdrawals and River Flows:

Many of the resources used to track water levels, rainfall amounts, and system demand are available on the web. The U.S. Geological Survey operates two real-time gauge stations on the Ipswich River, one is in South Middleton and the other is in Ipswich. Visit our withdrawal page for more information

Water Quality Study:

The study and design are complete and we have filed an application with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to add a sequestrant to out treatment regime. Construction will begin once the permits are issued.

Water Usage Statistics:

Do you own a single family residence in Topsfield and want to know how you water usage compares to the rest of the Town? Click here to view a water usage histogram for 2006.

Street Sweeping:

Street sweeping is scheduled to start on Wednesday, April 9th.

Street Sign Auction:

Are you interested in a piece of Topsfield history? As part of the Street Sign Replacement Program, the Town of Topsfield will be accepting bids for the "old" green street signs. All of the proceeds will go to the Town of Topsfield Scholarship Fund. This program will continue as the remaining street signs are replaced over the next few years. Street signs will be awarded to the highest bidder. Click here for more detials.

General Information:

A summary page is available that describes the Highway Department's staffing, duties, and resources.

Email Notification System:

We are now using a GoogleGroup to notify residents of important events in a timely manner. Websites, local papers and the local cable channel have been used in the past for notification purposes but these methods have an inherent time delay and are not direct methods of communication. Some of the topics you will be notified about are:

• Water Quality Changes such as when we add a new treatment process
• Water Rate Changes
• Water Use Bans
• Hydrant Flushing
• Road Closures
• Composting - when it opens/closes for the season or special hours

The group is set up so that only Topsfield Public Works Superintendents can send messages and view the membership list. Please enter your email address in the box below and click Submit if you'd like to join the group. You can unsubscribe at any time.

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