Newark Water & Sewer Recommends Water Conservation in Light of Rare Dry Conditions
NEWARK, N.J. — November 8, 2024 — Newark Water & Sewer recommends residents to practice water conservation as New Jersey experiences rare dry spell.
New Jersey is in its longest dry spell in over a decade, with October being 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 currently at 80% storage, so there is no cause for concern and no action is required from our residents. But we recommend, as always, to reduce unnecessary water usage where you can.”
The NJDEP issued a fire ban last month, as the dry spell has heightened chances 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. “If it were, our residents would have been notified immediately. While we always encourage water conservation, it is especially relevant right now in this dry period. Saving water is always a good idea.”
Below are some simple water conservation tips you can practice every day throughout your home.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Water conservation not only saves money, but it preserves the environment and is a great reminder that water is our most precious resource.
For more water saving tips, visit https://dep.nj.gov/conserve-water/ to learn more.