GLOUCESTER — The city has announced water conservation measures as of July 21.

They will be instituted for two weeks and be re-evaluated on Thursday, August 4, Mayor Greg Verga said Thursday.

“The city’s three reservoirs are lower than normal due to recent weather conditions, so we are taking these measures to protect and extend our drinking water capacity,” said Michael Hale, director of public works. 

The city will implement an odd-even outdoor watering protocol in accordance with Section 23-60 of the Gloucester Code of Ordinances. 

This protocol means that those at even-numbered addresses may water outdoors on even-numbered days, while odd-numbered addresses may water outdoors on odd-numbered days.

The city of Gloucester is also asking residents not to use fire pits and to take care when disposing of combustible materials due to the high threat of wildfires.

Other ways to conserve water this summer, according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission, include washing only full dishwasher or laundry loads, fixing any leaky utilities, taking short showers with water-saving shower heads, and skipping washing your vehicles.

Residents were also asked to limit lawn watering, especially during the drought. Lawns will revive when conditions improve, the announcement said.

In the meantime, try to use mulch to reduce evaporation and moderate soil temperature, it added. Another useful tip: leaving grass clippings on lawns will provide shade and return nutrients to soil.