NJAW Asks Monmouth Residents to Conserve Water

There’s no better place to be in the summer than the Jersey Shore.

As thousands of summer visitors flock to beaches of burgeoning Monmouth County, New Jersey American Water is asking its customers to use an odd/even schedule for outdoor watering to prevent the need for more stringent summertime restrictions of water usage and to ensure that there’s enough water to fight fires. 

“We hope that our customers will voluntarily adopt odd/even watering this summer,” said Steve Schmitt, vice president of operations for New Jersey American Water. “Over the last 100 years, the population in Monmouth County has increased from about 8,000 to more than 800,000. But the amount of available water has remained essentially the same. Practicing odd/even watering will help us manage a finite supply of water, yet our customers will still be able to maintain their lawns and vegetation, and New Jersey American Water can continue to provide reliable fire service for the communities we serve.” 

Odd/even guidelines are:

• Outdoor water use on odd-numbered days of the month if your street address is an odd number (i.e., 23 Oak St., 7 Maple Ave.)

• Outdoor water on even-numbered days of the month if your street address is an even number (i.e., 6 Oak St., 354 Maple Ave.)

Exceptions are:

• Watering of new sod or seed 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 irrigation

• Commercial uses of outdoor water, such as for nurseries, farm stands, power washing, plumbing, athletic fields, and car washes

“Irrigation systems, coupled with the influx of summer visitors to Monmouth County, can put tremendous pressure on our water systems,” said Schmitt. “Curtailing usage to every other day will help our distribution systems to recover and meet the demand for high-quality, reliable water service. In past summers our customers have helped reduce water demands and we thank them in advance for their cooperation this year. 

More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.