The dying grass in her front yard is a source of frustration for Christine Thompson of Burlington, Massachusetts.
"The more yellow it gets, the more frustrating it gets," said Thompson. "It just looks so drab. It's depressing, really."
Her usually-lush lawn has taken a turn for the worse since Burlington started a Water Ban on July 5. Under the ban, you cannot do things like water your lawn.
Businesses that depend on water are exempt.
"It'll last as long as we need it," said Town Administrator John Petrin.
Petrin says a malfunction at one of the town's water treatment plants has forced Burlington to get emergency water from Lexington. The state imposes the ban in this situation.
Petrin says in the winter months, the town uses about 2.5 million gallons of water a day, and in the summer, that number can double, largely due to new construction with sprinkler systems.
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Earlier in 2018, the town voted to join the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. That is expected to eliminate the water shortage issues, but construction work to complete that transition is expected to take about a year.
Residents caught violating the water ban get a warning the first time, a $50 fine the second time and a $100 fine every time after that.
