Tag: mandated

Time to mandate rain sensors for irrigation systemsTo the Editor:On Aug. 6, patrons of Ridgewood Water received the dreaded robo-call announcing stage II watering restrictions. At this writing, less than a week later, sprinklers and other irrigation systems may be used only two days a week.

Home and other property owners who have spent time, effort and money to make their places green may watch their investment wither as green turns to brown. A simple way to conserve water would require an update to a water department regulation: mandate the use of a rain sensor with every existing irrigation system as well as new ones.

These small, unobtrusive, inexpensive monitors tell the sprinkler system not to turn on when the gauge contains a certain level of water. Avoiding wasted sprinkling during or just after a rainfall helps the homeowner as well by saving money, especially as water rates rise.

Rain sensors are mandated by Ridgewood Water only for newly installed irrigation systems, with older systems grandfathered. With stage II in force and the specter of stage III looming, the time for grandfathering is past. A deadline of April 2016 would be reasonable, after which a warning could be given and then fines levied for noncompliance.

Ridgewood Water asks residents to alert their neighbors who flout watering restrictions. Passing the buck to neighbors for oversight on this issue is unrealistic. It has to come from the top.

My own story includes a cautionary tale. After years of observing other people’s sprinklers working in the rain, and having done too much planting to continue hauling sprinklers around or water the yard with a hose, I finally had a sprinkler system installed about six years ago. As required, a rain sensor was included. I congratulated myself upon being an environmentally aware and frugal citizen.

One night last summer I happened to be awake at dawn, when my sprinkler system turned on – to my surprise, since it was raining. When this happened a second time, I called my current sprinkler company (having dropped the original one for other reasons) to request a visit. The technician found that the sensor had been installed under a small overhang. It had never worked. Neither company had ever checked.

I had the sensor moved. It works now. But for years I was an unwitting scofflaw.

Moral: even those with a rain sensor in place would do well to make sure it is actually working. But first, let’s make sure everybody has one.

Marcia Ringel

Ridgewood