Town of Waukesha Lifts Sprinkling Ban

Drought conditions appear to be over in the Town of Waukesha.

UPDATED: Town of Waukesha Lifts Sprinkling Ban

Drought conditions and reports of private wells drying up in Wisconsin lead to ban on watering lawns and washing cars.

Update, Aug. 10, 2012: The sprinkling ban in the Town of Waukesha has now been lifted. As extreme temperatures and lack of rain continue to plague southeastern Wisconsin, the Town of Waukesha has issued a no sprinkling ban. “This ban is imposed because of the extreme drought over the past two months, which has caused concern for excessive water usage,” states the resolution passed by the Town Board. Residents in the Town of Waukesha are prohibited from watering lawns and washing cars, according to the resolution. The ban does not apply to hand watering of flowers, trees, shrubs and gardens. Meanwhile, the City of Waukesha enacted a sprinkling ordinance limiting lawn watering several years ago as it looks to implement conservation measures…

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Gov. Walker Declares State of Emergency for Drought Conditions

Farmers can receive expedited permits to use streams and lakes for irrigation.

It might not come as a surprise, but 42 counties in Wisconsin are officially considered in drought, including Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Racine and Waukesha counties. Gov. Scott Walker declared Monday a state of emergency because of the dry conditions. The declaration allows for expedited permits for farmers to temporarily use stream or lake water for irrigation, according to a news release. The lakes and streams must be inspected within 72 hours of the request to ensure that fish and aquatic life will not be harmed by the diversion, the release states. Farmers are encouraged to report crop conditions to the U.S. Farm Service Agency office. "The lack of rainfall since May in the southern half of the state has hit hard in a crucial part of the …

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