
Some of the posts are making a different point. My suggestion is that a some point the village has become a place where neighbors blindly follow a restriction, call out neighbors for trying to maintain their properties, and never seem to push for understanding of how to address the issue or correcting it. The facts are interesting; there is no shortage of water, the issue is the lack of pumping and storage due to poor planning and management. Claims that we hit Stage 4 due to disregard for previous stages shows a complete lack of understanding of how the water systems work, there is no linkage. We expect our neighborhoods to have maintained houses with landscaping, etc and then call out those who invest to do so. When I was young I remember the local police pulling into a school event and participating, now the village has them shutting it down. Imagine how much goodwill would have been realized had the police car been ‘washed’ by the kids. Isnt that the relationships we should foster as a Village.
This weekend I traveled to another town in eastern Bergen, where I noticed the local fire department was sponsoring a ‘wash’ seemed odd that less them 12 miles away they had enough rain to avoid water issues.
The village needs to reset a bit and ask the right questons to the right authorities, when we are the point where the police are shutting down fund raising events we all should be concerned.
If I remember correctly, there was a plan to enhance the current tank capacity, which would have solved the annual water-restriction problem we have. Basically, Ridgewood’s current tanks are not big enough to service Ridgewood during the summer. Like the article says, it’s not an issue of there being a water shortage, but that summer demand is so much higher, that the small tank capacity cannot maintain the required pressure in order to feed fire hydrants should there be an emergency.
Now back to the plan to increase the tank sizes. In case anyone didn’t know, the tanks are in the middle of The Heights. They are there because it’s Ridgewood’s highest point, necessary for the gravitational disbursement of water. Unfortunately, this location also happens to be Ridgewood’s most affluent neighborhood. The plan to increase the tank sizes was shelved because of complaints from the neighborhood, who thought the bigger tanks would be unsightly. I guess it’s understandable to think that your glass-chinking cocktail parties might be less desirable if you have to catch a glimpse of a water tank. These very same people will have cocktail parties to raise awareness of the need for Ridgewood to have affordable housing, but the affordable housing will be far from their streets.
You know it has to be a planning problem when watering restrictions, based from Time Immemorial on a combination of too little rain and too much heat, which can’t be known in advance, started to be implemented automatically each year based on the calendar. In fact, it turned out this year that the Village Calendar had erroneously been giving that start date as May 1 for years, when it was actually June 1. Those in charge DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING.
Facts are interesting things; the Valley View water tank in the heights was increased/upgraded in 2009-2010 as requested by RW Water. The neighbors to the site did ask questions and had some changes made, but all agreed to the plan that was implemented and RW Water indicated this was a good plan/compromise.
he nasty tone in the first post, not based on facts, is sad.
Minutes directly from RW Water while reviewing Valley View (Heights) upgrades
Peak demands are a concern within the system, but they are not significantly associated with the size
of the Valley View Tank. Similarly, unless there is a societal shift in the way that the public uses water
or in the development or population of the area it serves, then the sizing of the Valley View Tank
should be a viable solution for many decades into the future.
Growth – Several questions were raised about future growth as it might relate to the storage tank.
Population growth has not markedly changed in the last 30 – 40 years. The minor amount of growth
that has occurred in the last two decades can be characterized as in-filling (e.g. one house is torn
down and two or three are built in its place). There is little room for development of any significance
throughout the entire system that will have any impact on typical daily demands.
Just wait until we add 450 households to the demand!
Fact: Valley View Tanks were increased in size.
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Fact: RW still has Stage III and Stage IV water restrictions every year.
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Fact: RW Water still has insufficient pumping capability
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Fact: RW Water is still unable to adequately serve RW residents
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Facts are there has been virtually no rain for more than two months.
You better start California Dreamin. We are not immune from devastation from climate change. Hey friends: We are in it.
sorry there have been water restrictions every year for the last 15
well the news said we are 5inc,s behind in water.
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha… Climate Change… good one 2:05
What happened to Ridgewood Water’s plan to construct an enormous water sphere in Wyckoff, off of Mountain Avenue, near the Christian Health Care center?
Within the last decade or so, wasn’t the Midland Park tank on Glen Avenue increased in size as well?
Its time already to buy more water from United Water to meet the demand. The utility’s connection pipes have been in place. Blend, Buy more water.
the council meeting minutes 2/13/2008 – comments from group of 100 Heights residents opposing the 100 ft diameter tank. The chief engineer at that time even stated if it were up to him, he would build the tank even bigger than the originally proposed 100 ft tank.. The resident living adjacent to tank property, has since sold her house 12/2012. google 69 Valley View, adjacent water tank property is 71 – 73 valley view.
https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/PUBLIC2%201308.htm
Aronsohn, Pucciarelli, and Hauck don’t give a rat’s ass about what the public says (except for a certain someone who lives on Clinton Avenue), so now might be an opportune time to revisit constructing a larger water tank in the Heights. The 3 Stooges will vote yes on almost anything that involves a large percentage of taxpayers getting screwed. Damn the public; full speed ahead!
Please 2:05. Do not attribute the gross mismanagement of Ridgewood Water to climate change. People like you are why people still have doubts about climate change.
Apparently Declan did not remember correctly but what is quite apparent is his “west side envy”.
Declan was accurate. Ridgewood Water did not build what they needed, they got a bad compromise.
Build a supertanker on Valley View and lets get this over with.
I looked at houses on Valley View in 2000 but did not want to live near the tanks.
If you follow the link to the meeting minutes it is pretty funny. The residents talk about how much they pay in taxes, how people like to walk through the neighborhood and enjoy the architecture and the view of NYC. It was all about their real estate value.
They wanted justification for the larger expansion that Ridgewood Water wanted. Well folks, we have had water restrictions every summer. Even when there is rain.
Fix this problem. Build a tank for today and the 450 units that will be built in the future in downtown Ridgewood.
Council minutes Work Session ..JANUARY 28, 2009
Valley View Water tank originally was to be 100 foot diameter 1.7 million gallon.
Residents of the Heights got water tank size down to 75 foot 1.13 million gallon
“Mayor Pfund added that he thought that the Ridgewood Water Company actually did a very good job in reaching out to the community. He also congratulated the residents for bringing the size of the tank down from a 1.7 million gallon, 100-foot diameter tank to a 1.13 million gallon, 75-foot diameter tank.”
https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/minutes/WORK1.2809.htm
7:00pm — Declan has “wet side envy” not “west side envy” (LOL)
Since the infrastructure cannot support the new proposed units,they cannot be approved.
I’m good with my brown lawn if it helps the cause.
In past years stage one or two at most water restriction ended on Sept. 1.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha .
Lack of forward thinking brought us here.
Add a new tank to the ones we have. A skinny one that will fit in between. Paint is with trees and shrubs so the neighbors can enjoy the art.