The Town of Erie on March 20 issued an emergency advisory telling residents to refrain from using sprinkler systems, warning it may shut off water service for those who do not comply.
That same day, Erie escalated its drought status from “normal” to “emergency,” the highest level, with a target to reduce water use by more than 45%. The town’s Parks and Recreation Department has paused all irrigation “to be in lockstep with the community.”
Officials said the town does not have the capacity to handle the “extraordinary early use of irrigation water,” driven by an unusually warm March…