Newark Water & Sewer Recommends Water Conservation in Light of Rare Dry Conditions
Updated November 14, 2024
PARA LEER EN ESPAÑOL, UTILICE LA HERRAMIENTA DE TRADUCCIÓN EN LA ESQUINA SUPERIOR DERECHA DE LA PÁGINA WEB.PARA LER EM PORTUGUÊS, UTILIZE A FERRAMENTA DE TRADUÇÃO NO CANTO SUPERIOR DIREITO DA PÁGINA.NEWARK, N.J. — Newark Water & Sewer recommends residents to practice water conservation as New Jersey experiences rare dry spell.
On November 13th, Governor Phil Murphy and NJDEP Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced a drought warning, a step above the drought watch issued on October 17th. October was the driest month on record as virtually no rain was seen in the Garden State.
“We are in an abnormally dry period, but our water supply is secure”, says Kareem Adeem, Director of Newark Water & Sewer. “Our reservoirs combined are at nearly 80% storage. But we strongly recommend, as always, to reduce unnecessary water usage where you can.”
Director Adeem suggests the following water conservation tips for Newark residents:
Refrain from outdoor water usage, such as watering lawns or outdoor sprinklers.
If you see an open fire hydrant, call the Department of Water & Sewer Utilities at (973) 733-3655 to report it.
Don’t leave water running when washing dishes or brushing your teeth.
Dishwashers are great for saving water. If you wash dishes by hand, your dish washing routine could be wasting tens of gallons of water. Turn off the water when scrubbing dishes and turn it back on when rinsing.
Take shorter showers.
Reducing your shower time is an effective way of using less water. Also, turning off the water when soaping up is a simple change you can make to your shower routine to reduce your water consumption.
Wash full loads of laundry and use water-efficient washing machines.
Especially with older washing machines, washing full loads can help you save water in the long run. We suggest using machines with an Energy Star label, as they use less than half the water of a standard machine.
Fix leaky toilets and sinks.
Leaky toilets can waste upwards of 200 gallons of water per day. Toilet leaks may be hard to find, but you can verify if you have one using this neat trick. Remove the lid from the back of the toilet and place a drop of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes without flushing. If the color shows up in the toilet bowl, your toilet is leaking and it needs to be repaired. We recommend calling a licensed plumber for toilet and sink leak repairs.
Install low-flow showerheads and low-flow aerators on faucets.
If it takes less than 20 seconds for your shower to fill a gallon bucket, you could save a significant amount of water by installing a low-flow showerhead. Low-flow showerheads can be purchased at your local home improvement store.
The NJDEP issued a fire ban last month, as the dry spell has significantly increased instances of forest fires across the state.
A forest fire ignited in a part of Newark’s watershed on Halloween night, but was extinguished by first responders the following Sunday.
“This is not an emergency”, said Director Adeem. “While we always encourage water conservation, it is especially relevant in light of the drought warning. Saving water is always a good idea. This is a great reminder that water is our most precious resource and we should not take it for granted.”
For more water saving tips, visit https://dep.nj.gov/conserve-water/ to learn more.