Neighbors Reporting Water Restriction Violators in Norwell, Mass.

As this hot, dry summer continues, tempers are getting even hotter in one Massachusetts town as neighbors report violators of a town-wide water ban in Norwell, Mass.

“This neighbor likes to put out her own sprinkler. They’ll come leave notices on her door. People are reporting it. It is just a mess,” Nick Thompson said.

“Absolute mess.”

The town instituted the ban as water reserves dried up.

“This drought has killed everything,” Thompson said.

The ban included a rarely-used portion of town code that let the water department fine residents.

First-time offenders get a warning. After that, second offenders are fined $50 and three or more violations cost residents $100 each.

“I certainly didn’t think I would be doing police work,” Eric LaFramboise said.

LaFramboise works for Norwell’s Water Department. On Friday, he was out patrolling neighborhoods, looking for anyone violating the ban.

“We have definitely resorted to very strict messages because that was the type of situation that we were in,” he added.

Water workers working in shifts, sometimes over night, have issued around 200 tickets. Some are repeat offenders.

LaFramboise added residents have also called in to report their neighbors, some callers call often.

“Some people refer to us as the water police,” LaFramboise said.

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