Water Conservation
The Ipswich River provides drinking water for over 350,000 people in 14 communities. This high level of water demand stresses our river, causing it to slow down and even run dry during summer droughts. This is not normal. Too much water demand causes low flow — and low flow causes problems. Saving water solves problems. So, here’s our three-step water conservation plan for you. Though our daily actions might feel like just another drop in the bucket, they have a ripple effect!
Step 1: Get Informed
Find out how much water you use
The Ipswich River can sustainably provide up to 40 gallons per person per day. Are you coming in over-budget?
Take our survey
Contribute to our anonymous water use survey so that we can create better water conservation programs and track changes over time.
Step 2: Make a Change
Maintain your home and landscape with water in mind. Visit Greenscapes.org for more information about enlisting your yard for water conservation, and EPA.gov/WaterSense to search water-saving home appliances and rebates.
Step 3: Take Action in Your Community
Spread the Word
You can join our tabling team to spread the word!
Tabling volunteers engage the public with games and friendly conversation, educating folks about why saving water is so important — and how they can make a difference in their gardens and homes.
Have a captive audience already? Contact us if you would like IRWA to present on water conservation at your next event.
Talk to your leaders
Write to your elected officials and express support for their engagement with the North Shore Water Resilience Task Fore.
Emphasize that water conservation is a key component of water resilience on the North Shore.
Bring resiliency to YOUR town
Our cities and towns are responsible for making choices about how we use our water. So, IRWA created the Recipe for Resiliency, a ten-step guide for towns to implement stronger water conservation measures.
Ask your town officials what they are doing to implement the Recipe for Resiliency in your community.
Thank you to the Ipswich-Rowley Rotary Club for their support for IRWA’s critical water supply issues. Click for a full press release on the generous grant secured from Rotary International to go towards work addressing critical water supply issues on the North Shore of Massachusetts.