East Lyme Water customers are under mandatory water conservation and a twice-weekly irrigation schedule is in effect until further notice.
The state is under stage two drought conditions, according to the Connecticut water planning council and the Interagency Drought Work Group intends to meet again on Thursday to reassess conditions. They are asking residents and businesses to voluntarily take measures to minimize the strain on water resources:
A notice on East Lyme’s website says homes and businesses with automatic sprinkler irrigation systems often use large volumes of water, about 40% more than properties without the systems, and the Environmental Protection Agency and other experts identify the overuse of outdoor irrigation as a major source of strain on local water supplies while providing no benefit to lawns and gardens.
"We only received one inch of rain in July and we haven't received any in August. This is crunch time for us. It is a huge problem and we just need the public to understand while are doing our best to deliver as much water as we can, we just can't sustain this for an indefinite period," said Benjamin North, a utilities manager for East Lyme. "People need to understand that water is a finite resource and right now- we are running out of it."
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Mandatory Irrigation Schedule in East Lyme
The following irrigation schedule is in effect:
- If the last digit of your address number is even, water only on Sunday and Wednesday, between 12:01 a.m. and 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. and midnight.
- If the last digit of your address number is odd, water only on Saturday and Tuesday, between 12:01 am. and 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. and midnight.
- If you have no address number, water only on Sunday and Wednesday, between 12:01 a.m. and 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. and midnight.
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