Due to a disabled well, Mattapoisett is under a mandatory outdoor water restriction that began Thursday, Aug. 7 and will continue until further notice.

Houses with even numbers may water their lawns and gardens on even dates and odd numbered addresses may water on odd dates. Anyone can water on the 31st of the month.

Outdoor water usage may only take place during the hours of 6 to 8 a.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

The Water and Sewer Commissioners voted unanimously on the restriction Thursday morning after Water and Sewer Commissioner Nick Nicholson explained that the Tinkham Lane well is out of service for longer than previously expected limiting the water supply.

The town of Fairhaven uses the well that produces 1.5 million gallons of water a day.

"We are in a situation where we have been blessed so far with cooler weather and we’ve had some rain, but around the corner I’m quite certain there will be warm weather and of course heavy uses because of lack of rain," he said.

The wells haven't run dry, and Nicholson wants to keep it that way, especially for the safety of the town.

"We need to be able to preserve a certain amount of water in our storage tanks in the event of, God forbid, a major fire," he said. "Fire protection is a big issue for our water supply. If we have a big demand and the tanks go down low we could be in a compromising situation."

Nicholson met with officials from Mattapoisett, Marion and Fairhaven yesterday to discuss the issue. Mattapoisett manages the water for the towns through the Mattapoisett River Valley Water District.

The towns agreed an even/odd arrangement would be best. Marion already has a similar plan in place.

Nicholson said the restrictions would probably be in place for a month and was not sure when the Tinkham Lane well would come back online.