Politics & Government

DEP Drought Watch Should be No Surprise to Madison

State agency joins borough in asking residents to watch water use.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has issued a drought watch affecting five counties, including Morris County. The agency is asking residents to voluntarily conserve water due to the continued hot and dry conditions throughout the area.

However, the watch, which was only issued on Thursday, should both come as no surprise and be no issue for Madison residents.

That's because the Rose City beat the DEP to the punch almost exactly a month ago when it put water use restrictions in place on July 7.

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Since that date, outdoor water use has been limited to an even-odd system, meaning water can only be used on even-numbered days for residents or businesses whose dwelling, building or box addresses are also even, and on odd-numbered days for their counterparts. On top of that, residents have only been able to use water outdoors on those alternating days at two time frames–from midnight to 8 a.m. and then from 8 p.m. to midnight.

At that time the restrictions began, Borough Administrator Ray Codey said the outdoor uses that are restricted in the even-odd system are lawn and shrub watering, car washing, and driveway and sidewalk washing.

Find out what's happening in Madisonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The counties under the DEP's drought watch are Morris, Essex, Bergen, Passaic and Hudson. The agency said on its Web site that it "has observed serious drops in some reservoir levels, especially the North Jersey District Water Supply Commission's Wanaque and Monksville reservoirs, and United Water Company's Oradell reservoir."

It also said that, though scattered thunderstorms my provide some welcome relief immediately, they are not expected to significantly improve the water supply situation.

If it had issued a drought warning instead of a watch, the state would instead would most likely call for mandatory steps to help with the water supply issue.

Instead, it is asking for voluntary action.

"We are asking residents in these five affected counties to keep watch on their water use, to voluntarily reduce unessential water use due to a rapid decline in some reservoir levels,'' said DEP Commissioner Bob Martin on the Web site. "Using water responsibly by voluntarily taking steps such as limiting lawn and landscaping water, and cutting back on at-home car washing, could save millions of gallons of water daily.''

Madison, however, has already begun that step with its own month-old restrictions.


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