The Long Island Water Conference (LIWC) is calling on residents to reduce water usage and observe their water supplier’s odd/even watering ordinances. Long Island and most of the Northeast region has been in an inordinately dry stretch of weather. As a result of the arid conditions in June and the early stages of July, water systems across the region are facing the possibility of experiencing reduced pressure due to the significant demand created by lawn irrigation systems. Residents are advised to closely abide by local ordinances of irrigation control and are asked to run systems between 4 and 10 p.m. rather than watering during times of peak demand.
“We encourage residents to limit their water usage to ensure Long Island water suppliers are able to maintain adequate water pressure for fire protection and other essential services,” said LIWC Chairman Chuck Savinetti. “With the biggest user of water being irrigation systems, we advise all Long Islanders to shorten their irrigation cycles by several minutes to offset the significant increase in demand. This is greatly helpful in the conservation of our most precious natural resource as Long Island’s water providers continue to work diligently to meet the water needs of our residents.”
The last 14 days, Long Island has had next to no rainfall. The historical average rainfall for July is 3.4 inches. This limited-rain trend is expected to continue throughout this week as high temperatures and little to no precipitation are expected.
Nassau County’s odd-even sprinkler regulation requires residences with a house number that is even—or is not numbered—to water their lawn on even-numbered days. Conversely, residences with a house number that is odd should water their lawn on odd-numbered days.
In addition to adhering to all irrigation regulations in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, homeowners are urged to be conscious of water usage inside their homes. In addition to cutting back on lawn irrigation, homeowners are also encouraged to reduce indoor water usage.
For more information, visit www.liwc.org.
