JERSEY SHORE – After several hot, dry days, New Jersey American Water asked residents to start conserving water now to prevent water restrictions later in the season.
“After a few weeks of cooler weather, the hot and dry weather seems to be here to stay,” said Carmen Tierno, senior director of operations at New Jersey American Water. “Because of this region’s increase in population during the summer months, New Jersey American Water is urging customers to begin using an odd/even schedule for outdoor watering to potentially avoid more stringent summertime restrictions of water usage.”
When people only water their lawns every other day, it still keeps them healthy while saving water and saving money, the company said. They provided the following guidelines:
- Only use water outside on odd-numbered days of the month if your street address is an odd number (i.e., 23 Oak Street)
- Only use water outside on even-numbered days of the month if your street address is an even number (i.e., 6 Oak Street)
- Water early or late in the day to minimize evaporation
Exceptions to this rule includes using private wells for irrigation. If you’ve just put down new sod or seed, then you should water it according to the instructions. However, if you were preparing to put down new sod or seed, you should wait until the fall.
Plant nurseries, farm stands, power washing, plumbing, athletic fields, and car washes are allowed to bypass this rule.
Additional tips on water conservation can be found at newjerseyamwater.com under Water and Wastewater Information.
