Plymouth County

Pembroke’s mandatory water ban in effect until June 19

PEMBROKE, Mass. — The Town of Pembroke has issued a mandatory water ban for the next month because of a “water level and pressure emergency,” according to a statement posted to the town’s website Thursday.

The ban stems from state-required upgrades being done at the water treatment plant which won’t be completed and inspected until June 19. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has worked with the town to expedite the inspection and get the plant back in service much quicker than originally expected, the town’s statement added.

In an update provided on Friday, the town’s department of public works thanked residents for their cooperation, adding the water supply had not worsened because of their conservation efforts.

The town expects the water supply to improve starting in the middle of this week.

Boston 25 News Meteorologist Vicki Graf said the next chance for rain on the South Shore with likely be late Thursday. ​

"The timing of this next front is still a little up in the air," Graf said. "I’d say the bulk of the rain will be Friday and it could linger into Saturday as well."

The town has been concerned the lack of rain could strain the reserve levels in the tanks and seriously impact water supply and pressure in the event of an emergency.

During a house fire on Taylor Street around 10 p.m. Friday, Pembroke Fire called in tanker trucks from Carver and Plymouth.

“We called them right off the initial call, but we didn’t need them,” Captain Jim Shea told 95.9 F.M. WATD. “We were able to take care of it with the water supply that was within the engines.”​

Everyone got out the house safely and firefighters were able to contain the fire to one room.

The town is still asking residents and businesses to stop using unnecessary water, including holding off on washing cars, watering lawns and filling swimming pools. The town said anyone filling a swimming pool should have water trucked in.

“This deferred maintenance was the result of a ten year freeze in water rates,” the town’s statement said. “Work to improve Pembroke’s water infrastructure is in progress and will continue until the town and its residents are satisfied with the quantity and quality of the town’s most valuable resource, water.”