New Jersey American Water Requests Voluntary Odd/Even Watering in Monmouth County

New Jersey American Water is requesting customers in Monmouth County begin voluntarily following an odd/even lawn watering system to avoid a shortage during the summer months. 

Taking a pro-active approach last May, proved successful in flattening peak usage, according to Kevin Kirwan, Senior Director of Operations for New Jersey American Water's Coastal Region, comprised of Monmouth, Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

"We were able to meet our demands and not impose any further water restrictions, and certainly being pro-active in water conservation definitely prevents the need for further restrictions in the summer, and we do want to be operating in a re-active mode," said Kirwan.

Resevoirs are 100 percent full right now, but Kirwan cautioned, "When we have very high system demands, pro-longed hot and dry periods, our system demands can escalate, and without managing that demand, those demands can exceed our capacity to produce water," he said.

Conserving water now also is a matter of public safety, Kirwan pointed out, especially for fire protection. He also added that customers can save between 25 and 50 percent on irrigation costs.

The odd/even outdoor water use schedule being suggested works as such:

• Watering your lawn or garden should occur only on odd days of the month if your street address is an odd number (i.e., 23 Oak St., 7 Maple Ave.)
• Watering your lawn or garden should occur only on even days of the month if your street address is an even number (i.e., 6 Oak St., 354 Maple Ave.)
• It is also suggested that watering of lawns be done early or late to minimize evaporation, typically between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

These suggestions would NOT apply to:

• Watering of sod or newly seeded lawns if daily watering is required (note: it is recommended that any planting of new sod or seed that has not already taken place be delayed until the fall)
• Use of private wells for lawn irrigation
• Commercial uses of outdoor water, such as for nurseries, farm stands, power washing, plumbing, and commercial car washes
• Watering of athletic fields

While New Jersey American is encouraging efficient outdoor water use at this time, if water demands continue to significantly increase or supplies continue to significantly decrease, formal and more strict water restrictions may be needed to ensure continued water service.

For more information and more tips on how to conserve water, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com or facebook.com/njamwater.