Orleans Water Board Maintains Drought Restrictions, Awaits June State Report to Reassess

ORLEANS — May 20, 2026 — Orleans water board holds tight drought restrictions as residents push for looser watering rules. The Board of Water and Sewer Commissioners voted to maintain its Level 2 water restrictions at its May 20 meeting, declining to ease them despite a state drought task force upgrading Orleans from Level 2 significant drought to Level 1 mild drought on May 8. Water Superintendent Sue Brown told the board that the USGS monitoring well Orleans is required to track under its permit remains below the trigger threshold, and that the next drought task force report is expected June 8. Chair Lynn Brunell said she was "really reluctant to make a change at this juncture" going into peak demand season. Several residents pointed out that Chatham, Brewster, Harwich, and East Ham each allow two days of outdoor irrigation per week; Commissioner Mark Berson, who also serves on the Brewster water board, explained that most of those towns lack current state permits and are therefore not bound to enforce stricter state guidance. In other business, Public Works Director Rich Waldo reported that the Phase 3 sewer construction low bid came in at $18,537,952.60 — roughly $6 million below the $24.5 million estimate — with the town potentially able to return up to $10 million in previously authorized borrowing.