Long Island Water Conference Urges Conservation

The Long Island Water Conference, a group that represents the island’s water suppliers and related industries, is urging residents to conserve water after a monthlong dry spell had led to increased consumption.

On the East End, the Suffolk County Water Authority reports that Southold was on track in June to use 35 percent more water than the 10-year average for the month.

LIWC noted in a release Friday that while Long Island’s aquifer is not at risk of running out of water, if the supply wells that draw the water from the ground run low, water pressure will be diminished — water pressure that is crucial for firefighters battling a blaze.

“We implore residents to reduce water usage to ensure Long Island water suppliers are able to maintain high-pressure water for fire protection and other essential services,” LIWC Chairman Richard Passariello said in a statement. “With most water use being attributed to irrigation systems, we urge all Long Islanders to shorten their irrigation cycles by several minutes to offset the significant increase in demand. This action alone will save a significant amount of water and allows Long Island’s water providers to continue working diligently to meet the water needs of residents.”

Nassau County has a lawn watering ordinance that requires residents to follow an odd and even days schedule. That is, residents with a house number that is even may only water their lawns on an even-numbered day, and those with odd house numbers can only water on odd-numbered days. The ordinance is in effect year round and also prohibits outdoor water usage between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Suffolk County has no such ordinance.

LIWC says lawns need only 1 inch of water per week to remain healthy, and the group advises upgrading to a smart irrigation controller that is tied in with local weather forecasts to determine a lawn’s actual watering needs. The group also urges residents to check irrigation systems for leaks and broken sprinklers that could be wasting thousands of gallons of water every month.