Denville goes 'dry': Water-use restricted as municipal tank is refurbished during drought
As state officials urge New Jersey residents to voluntarily cut back on their water use, and with another heat wave in the forecast, Denville has implemented mandatory water-use restrictions for both residents and commercial property owners.
The 90-day restriction period, which began Monday, is necessary while the township's primary water tank is taken offline for refurbishing. Contractors say the process will take 60 to 90 days and requires the 1.25-million-gallon tank to be emptied.
The action will "ensure an adequate water supply for water customers and fire-protection services" during the shutdown, Denville Police Capt. Jeffrey Tucker explained in a statement announcing the move. The restrictions will be strictly enforced, he wrote. Summonses with fines may be issued to violators.
The ordinance dictates residents with even house numbers are permitted outside water use on even-number days, and residents with odd-number homes are permitted on odd-number days. Water use covered in the ordinance includes the watering of "lawns, shrubs, ornamental plants, etc., as well as the washing of automobiles, trucks, ATVs, boats, etc."
"All residents and business are urged to voluntarily observe and implement indoor water-conservation measuresas well," the advisory reads.
The announcement warns the township is reserving the right "to change this to a complete prohibition on outdoor water use."
WeatherScorching hot week ahead with no rain before Friday
Monitors at the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska last week placed most of Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, and parts of Essex and Hudson counties, into "moderate drought" status. Much of North Jersey, including Denville in Morris County, is classified as "abnormally dry."
New Jersey officials also urge residents to contact their water suppliers for additional guidance. Some water companies have issued their own restrictions, including a mandatory odd-even-day watering schedule for Ocean and Monmouth County customers of New Jersey American Water.
“The recent extreme heat wave has prompted customers to increase their water usage significantly over the last week, and while we did previously request voluntary odd/even outdoor watering, we are continuing to see significant demands on the system that now require us to make this a mandatory order,” stated Carmen Tierno, senior director of Operations. “We are putting this restriction in place to support our ability to continue to provide water and fire protection services to our customers.”
The Southeast Morris County Municipal Utilities Authority, Morris County's largest supplier with 15,000 residential and 2,500 commercial customers in Morristown, Morris Township, Morris Plains and Hanover, has yet to issue restrictions.
Morris County's largest municipality, Parsippany, operates its own water utility and has had similar outdoor water-use restrictions permanently in place for several years.
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Denville NJ water-use restrictions in effect due to drought warning
