Kittery water shortage expected to worsen as winter approaches
Kittery Residents Face Eight‑Week Water Restriction as Drought and Shipyard Demands Tighten Supply
KITTERY — A severe water‑conservation order has been in effect for eight weeks, and the town’s residents may have to keep using it for even longer. The Kittery Water District has been operating under a “Level 3” restriction since August 17, a status that limits outdoor watering on certain days and carries fines for non‑compliance. While no fines have yet been issued, district superintendent Matthew Berube says it is highly probable that some of the 6,000 customers in the district are violating the limits.
Pond Levels Deeper Than Expected
The district’s water comes from four ponds that supply the entire town, portions of Eliot, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Berube told reporters that three of those ponds are at least 12 feet below the levels normally seen this time of year, even after a nor’easter last month that brought nearly three inches of rain to Kittery. “We’ve done our best to educate a few people that we’ve seen and noticed,” Berube said. “But combined with persistent drought conditions, the supply just got worse.”
The National Integrated Drought Information System reports that 1.3 million Mainers are currently in drought conditions, with York County—the county that includes Kittery—reporting 100 percent coverage.
Infrastructure Leaks Add to the Strain
In addition to the low pond levels, the district has been battling persistent leaks at the shipyard and a series of water‑main breaks in town. These problems have raised concerns about the district’s ability to meet the growing demand as winter approaches.
The Navy’s Role in Water Usage
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, a major consumer of Kittery’s water, typically uses more than half of the district’s supply. In the colder months, the shipyard’s needs increase further to support industrial processes and freeze protection. A shipyard spokesperson emailed the district on Tuesday that the facility’s “industrial processes and freeze protection” would drive higher demand.
Berube explained that the ongoing Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, or P1080, will increase the shipyard’s water usage even more. “The whole point of the power and resiliency project is so that the shipyard can expand their levels of usage through 2037,” he said, adding that the end goal is “to eventually fix the extraneous water usage.” The program, which is expected to expand the district’s capacity, has been described by a shipyard official as “mutually beneficial” for the Navy and residents. “There are no indications that PNSY and the Naval Support Activity Maine will exceed our long‑term projected operational demands previously shared with Kittery Water District,” the official wrote.
Over the last decade, conservation measures at the shipyard have cut water usage by a significant margin. Last winter, the facility saved 55 million gallons compared to prior years, according to Berube. The shipyard’s peak usage from October 2025 to April 2026 was close to 380 million gallons, a figure the district superintendent noted when speaking with the press.
Future Outlook
With the winter months still a few weeks away, the district expects pond levels to remain low as temperatures drop and source ponds struggle to refill. The “Level 3” restriction remains in place until conditions improve, but the district is closely monitoring the situation. Berube said that he will conduct further studies to determine how best to alleviate the strain on water resources and what restrictions may be necessary for residents during the coming winter.
Meanwhile, the shipyard has paused some of its conservation‑testing projects after a few months of implementation, but officials anticipate more initiatives during the colder season. Both the shipyard and the district have been working together to mitigate the impact of the ongoing restrictions on the community.
For now, Kittery residents are advised to continue conserving water, to avoid outdoor watering on restricted days, and to stay informed about any changes to the restriction levels. The district has not yet issued fines, but Berube cautions that violations are occurring and that the district will enforce penalties as needed to protect the town’s dwindling water supply.
