Nothing about the Massachusetts landscape indicates a lack of water.

The terrain looks lush and reservoirs remain full, but precipitation tells a different story. Two years of below average rainfall has depleted groundwater and shrunk stream levels, setting off an official drought declaration. Municipalities, as a result, have implemented mandatory water conservation efforts, but the severity of restrictions depend on the water source.

Massachusetts has been in a drought since October 2024. As of July 9, the Pioneer Valley is in “significant drought” based on months of below-average rainfall and low groundwater levels. The United States Drought Monitor places the Connecticut River Valley in “moderate drought” on the July 2 map.

“It’s all about what we are experiencing now compared to what it should be at this time of the year for us here in Massachusetts,” said Vandana Rao, director of water policy at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “And not necessarily, how things are in Arizona or other parts of the country.”

The dry weather has not impacted all water sources equally. Some western Massachusetts water districts report worrying dips in well levels, while others see their reservoirs almost full.

Regardless, the lawn signs and website notices announcing mandatory conservation efforts have once again populated the public sphere. These are not a water district’s decision, but rather a requirement of state water permits.

“I hear a lot from the public, ‘We’re in a ban every year, and we’re not in a drought,’ and that is because it’s this permit condition that is requiring this conservation,” said Jennifer Pederson, executive director of the Massachusetts Water Works Association, an organization that helps municipalities abide by state water regulations.

In 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection began renewing state water permits and registrations under the condition that holders abide by state drought declarations. The change, Pederson said, came after years of advocacy from watershed protection agencies around water conservation.

“They had a lot of pressure from watershed groups to make sure that people were being as conservative as they could be with their water for ecological protection,” she said.

Each month, a Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force convenes to deduce the drought status. The group of 16 federal and state experts looks at six hydrologic factors: precipitation, water levels of lakes and ponds, streamflow of rivers and wetlands, fire danger, groundwater levels and evapotranspiration from the soil and plants.

The data from that month is compared to a “look back period,” or the same month across decades. For instance, May 2026 precipitation would be compared to the median of May precipitation from the past 20 years. Based on this month’s variation from the norm, the Task Force makes a recommendation to the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

“Drought for most people means we’re running out of water, and that’s not really how the Massachusetts drought plan works,” said Pederson, who also serves on the Task Force.

Many people look to the U.S. Drought Monitor for drought alerts, but Rao says the task force analysis leverages more data points and regional expertise. The US Drought Monitor is “a little bit more flashy” in comparison because it updates more frequently, so a recent storm can appear to improve conditions, only to retreat. Only states have the power to declare drought.

“What we are doing here in Massachusetts is more granular,” Rao said.

Rainfall has been consistently below average: the National Weather Service reports Hampshire County received 11.8 inches below normal over the past 12 months. In June alone, the deficit was 1.76 inches.

Lack of rain slowly dwindles groundwater supplies. These reservoirs hiding underground supply water for rivers, lakes and even the ocean. While rain may spike stream levels, Rao explains it will not stabilize until groundwater increases.

According to the Massachusetts Drought Dashboard, 15 precipitation stations, groundwater monitoring sites and streams are sprinkled throughout the Pioneer Valley. The Mill River, the Connecticut River and Deerfield River are all included.

The Quabbin Reservoir and Springfield Reservoir are also monitored, although both oversight agencies, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and Springfield Water and Sewer Commission, are exempt from the state water restrictions. MWRA spokesperson Sean Navin said multiyear reservoirs have their own drought plans because the supplies take several years without rain to dry up.

As of July 17, 2026, the Quabbin is 81% full, which is considered “below normal.” MWRA has six emergency categories: normal, below normal, drought warning, drought emergency 1, drought emergency 2, and drought emergency 3. Communities whose water comes from the MWRA system are strongly encouraged to reduce their water consumption by 5% at drought warning, Navin said, when the system drops to between 65% and 75% full. At drought emergency 1, or 50% to 60% full, water restrictions become mandated.

“When we are in significant droughts, we want you to conserve water. It is the most precious resource we have,” Navin said. “We don’t want communities to feel they can do whatever they want with water.”

Some communities with multiple well reserves and reservoir systems can weather the drought for months, if not years. Areas with smaller or fewer wells, however, are seeing their supplies deplete much faster.

The six indices glimpse into hydrological health of the region, but it’s not always reflective of drinking water supply. The three reservoirs in Northampton — Ryan Reservoir, West Whately and Mountain Street — are close to capacity at this moment, Northampton DPW Director Donna LaScaleia said. Together they hold more than 1 billion gallons of water.

Amherst has five wells and two reservoir systems, one of which is not connected to a water treatment plant yet. The town declared a water ban in August 2025, and then again on May 8. While the smaller reservoirs need to recharge more frequently than the Quabbin, DPW Director Guilford Mooring says the water levels are doing fine.

“We’re one of the last systems to see the effects of the drought,” he said. “It’s more to do with the fact that each area is different.”

Both Amherst and Northampton enforce water restrictions based on permits with MassDEP. The Water Management Act, passed in 1986, created a system of registrations and permits for water systems. Municipalities, fisheries, golf courses and even farms must have some registration with the DEP.

Registrations allow organizations to withdraw water volume based on historic use. If municipalities need more water, they can apply for a permit that outlines allowances and limitations, including seasonal drought restrictions.

Easthampton’s water permit, approved on March 9, requires the municipality to enforce a water ban from May 1 to Sept. 30. It is either a blanket ban across the season or based on the Mill River streamflow. According to the city’s website, the water restrictions allow for nonessential water use activities twice a week after 9 p.m. and before 5 p.m.

These seasonal water restrictions, Pederson says, desensitize the public to water restrictions when they are really needed. Massachusetts Water Works Association has requested the state better distinguish between seasonal restrictions and drought conservation for the general public.

“In a way, we are doing public water systems a disservice to have these permit conditions, because people are blaming them for having to restrict, when really it’s a state directive,” Pederson said.

Water districts can impose stricter bans, and sometimes this is necessary. The Belchertown Water District enforced a full water ban on all nonessential water use last September, when most municipalities permitted watering on odd or even days.

“We don’t do that,” Water District Superintendent Kevin Williams said. “If it’s bad enough to have a water ban, we have a water ban. For Belchertown, it’s all or nothing.”

Belchertown only has two wells as a water source. In June, Williams said one of the wells had dropped a foot below average, “and there’s still a lot of summer left.” He assures the supply will hold as long as people conserve water.

“There are a lot of yellow lawns in town right now, and we’re thankful for that,” Williams said. “They really are helping us.”

The rest of the municipalities must comply with state level 2 restrictions. Nonessential watering, like car washes or watering lawns, is banned from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fines for violating the ban are $100 and are enforced by the water districts. Belchertown will shut off the water until the fine is paid.

Private wells are excluded from the ban and any fines, but are still encouraged to conserve water.

According to the Massachusetts Drought Management Plan, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and fire danger are the biggest indicators of drought beginnings. Rao and the task force will look to precipitation and groundwater levels for indications of hydraulic recovery.

“When these excessive rainfall events happen when there’s already a drought, and the ground is parched, it doesn’t easily absorb everything, and so it tends to sheet flow and go off,” Rao said.

Recent storms have helped replenish the rain deficit, but National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Loconto says it will take more than one or two storms to improve drought conditions.

“We’re getting rainfall,” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting more of that so our streamflow levels can come up and our groundwater levels can come up as well.”

Pederson encourages people to listen to their water district bans, as water superintendents have the best understanding of their water supplies. Rao also implores people to run the dishwasher on a full load, use a running tap to water plants, water gardens in the evening and listen to local water authorities.

“They have the ability, through their decision-making in their lives on an everyday basis, to make a difference,” she said.