the staff of The Ridgewood Blog
Ridgewood NJ, from its inception, our staff said that Ridgewood Water’s plan to allow smart controller users to water on every day of the week was a very, very bad idea (so bad that it was actually preposterous). Those users who don’t own smart controllers are allowed to water only on two days each week.
The electronic controllers are allegedly designed to turn on automated lawn sprinkler systems only when necessary. Thus, we would suspect that during a dry heat wave, the controllers would be turning on sprinkler systems more often (possibly every day of the week) than during wetter, cooler periods.
Faced now with storage tanks that are running empty due to a dry heat wave, the Village’s water utility has asked its subscribers to stop all lawn watering.
Our staff is wondering whether the plan to allow certain automatic lawn sprinkler systems users to water every day of the week backfired and unintentionally contributed to the water emergency now facing Ridgewood Water’s subscribers.
We hate to say that we told you so, but we did tell you so.
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“Our staff is wondering” You will never get an answer to your “wondering ” here.
You remind me of a politician who repeats lies by saying “Some people say” or “a man came up to me, big man, strong man with tears in his eyes……. “.
I am a reader. I am also ‘wondering’ as the blog seems to have brought up an interesting point that I was unaware of.
The only ‘smart watering’ is allowing manual sprinklers to be used as necessary.
Over the years I have seen automatic sprinklers with ‘rain sensors’ watering the lawns during downpours.
Smart thought… only allow inground systems to be manually operated.
See here;
https://water.ridgewoodnj.net/water-restrictions/
Screwed up again.
Let’s not stop with the sprinklers. No refilling your pools either.
Or showers
Before looking at smart controllers why not use your brain and think maybe the increase in residents due to the 3 apartment buildings being put up or maybe that the other towns that Ridgewood Water serves have also had increase in residents all the while going unchecked in terms of restrictions. Smart controllers are an easy blame but would highly doubt that’s the core issue. We’ve had roughly 30 inches of rain year to date…maybe town leadership should stop investing in stupid pet projects that do nothing to serve the residents and maybe look at increasing water storage capacity if they’re going to approve more and more buildouts. Or maybe owning a utility might not be the greatest idea.
Correct, correct, and absolutely effing correct. Water capacity (safety and yes, lawns – hell, part of the Village is called “The Lawns”) needs to be increased by whatever means necessary WAY before the money is spent/wasted on unnecessary (Schedler) ball fields, in-town garage purchases, etc., etc. After ONE hot day, we immediately go to water restrictions. Very sad how this Village is run. TIME FOR SOME CHANGES, starting with selling (monetizing) Ridgewood Water, and then VOTING in the next election.
I have a smart controller and so far this year my system has gone on exactly five times. I would have watered more on the two days a week plan.
But somehow this must be Siobahn’s fault, right? Or Fishbein?
Good news is that artificial turf doesn’t need watering…too soon?
Dont hurt yourself falliing off of your soapbox. If you are signing the praises of those 2, I actually feel sorry for you.
You hate it when others are right
The use of “soapbox” is incorrect in this context
Obviously current the smart controller regulation is not smart or fair. Also not smart is spending millions on the Hudson Street parking garage and not fixing longstanding problems with Ridgewood Water. Ignoring at basic community need is negligent however this is the norm for unprincipled politicians .
RIDGEWOOD WATER IS A FARCE. HOMEOWNERS WERE REQUIRED TO REDUCE LAWN WATERING FROM 3 TO 2 NITES (ABOUT 5-6 YRS AGO) TO CONSERVE WATER…AND THEN THE TOWN APPROVED PLANS FOR 3 NEW CONDO UNITS WHICH CONSUME SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF ADDITIONAL WATER..A SLIGHT OF HAND…THE WATER RESTRICTION WAS PUT IN PLACE TO FACILITATE THE APPROVAL OF THE NEW CONDOS..WE HAVE DANGEROUS CHEMICALS, WELLS SHUT DOWN,AND NEIGHBORING TOWNS WHO RECEIVE OUR WATER BUT DO NOT ABIDE BY OUR RESTRICTIONS.THEN WE BUY WATER FROM HAWTHORNE WHICH HAS CHEMICAL PROBLEMS OF THEIR OWN. NOW WE HAVE A HEAT WAVE AND THEY ARE TELLING US WE MUST SHUT DOWN WATERING TO CONSERVE WATER FOR EMERGENCY USAGE…..HOW COULD THEY BE IN DESPERATE SHAPE SO EARLY IN THE SEASON,
how much water does the car wash use in week of no rain vs residential lawns. would think that would be a significant save
Yeah and no shower every day. 😲
Shut the Ridgewood Car wash for a week.
Umm, a car wash uses recycled water. Each car does not get fresh water.
They are only talking about yard watering, not showering.
what are the lawn watering rules for the towns that use our water. if they are not exactly the same then ignore the restriction
We “hope” they will comply. They don’t.
Talk about incredibly unfair.
how about:
1) REMOVE THE POISON FROM THE WATER
2) BUILD ENOUGH CAPACITY SO WE CAN DRINK, BATHE AND WATER OUR LAWNS WHENEVER WE WANT.
WHY MUST WE LIVE IN THE STONE AGE?
DON’T WE PAY ENOUGH TAXES THAT WE DON’T NEED TO BE LIVING LIKE A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY?
ENOUGH ALREADY.
HOW INCOMPETENT ARE THESE PEOPLE ???
With this Mayor and council majority cronies, all we get is a spruced up business district (to benefit his businesses) and turf fields, which is an arrangement made pre-election-again for his benefit.
“Thus, we would suspect that during a dry heat wave, the controllers would be turning on sprinkler systems more often (possibly every day of the week) than during wetter, cooler periods.” Your suspicions are false. I also have a smart controller and have had for years and can say it waters no more frequently in hotter weather than not, has never watered every day of any week, and my lawn browning consistently at the beginning of July like clockwork is proof. My frustration is with the many, many houses I see watering on days you are not supposed to or watering when it is raining, which is more wasteful and problematic than smart controlled sprinkler systems. I also do not understand why I am still seeing Travel and BF school fields being watered this week when we are supposed to be in lockdown.
If you see something, don’t just say something, do something. Otherwise you’re complicit with these sprinkler crimes, David.
Right.
Turn in your neighbors.
Even turn in your parents if they are in violation.
Absolutely correct. Justice is blind.
I take care of my garden and my lawn and work very hard on it. I do not have a pool, I follow the town rules. There is no way in heck that I am not going to be watering my lawn because of their foolish mistakes.
So, you won’t be following the rules, then?
Latest email Notice : WATER RESTRICTIONS CONTINUE
We thank you for not watering your lawn this week and ask you to please continue NOT WATERING through the weekend. Your cooperation has made a difference, but we are not out of the woods yet. Stage 3 water restrictions, or more severe measures, may still need to be invoked. If that happens, they may be in effect for the rest of the summer.
Please note that you may water landscape plantings (not your lawn) by hand only on your designated days – Wednesday and Sunday for even addresses, Tuesday and Saturday for odd addresses. The best time to water plantings is before 10:00 am or after 6:00 pm to avoid evaporation.
Again, thank you for your cooperation. Together, we can get through this heat wave.
WATER EMERGENCY: WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY?
Q. We had so much rain in the spring. Why did we have a water emergency on the first hot day in June?
A. Ridgewood Water is a groundwater system, meaning we do not store rainwater. There are no reservoirs in our system. Rain only helps by staving off lawn watering.
Q. What happened?
A. The emergency, which began on June 18, 2024, was the result of overuse, mainly automatic lawn watering, which caused a sudden and severe drop in tank reserves. One of Ridgewood Water’s tanks saw a 19-foot drop between 1:00 am and 7:00 am. System demand peaked at 15 million gallons for the day, which is 7.5 million gallons higher than the average system day demand.
Q. In emergency situations like this, can you get water from other sources?
A. On June 19, 2024, Ridgewood Water purchased 4.5 million gallons of water from two nearby utilities. We cannot do this on a regular basis due to maximums set by both the utility agreements and the State.
Q. What is being done?
A. Since 2015, Ridgewood Water has invested $90 million on infrastructure improvements to the system, including the drilling of new wells and connections with new supply sources. The next step is to build out the infrastructure to move water more efficiently through the system – a step that was put on hold due to the construction of PFAS treatment facilities.
On June 12, 2023, the Village Council awarded a contract to Circular Water Solutions to update the hydraulic modeling for the Ridgewood Water system, examine system function and recommend improvements. We expect this modeling effort to be completed before the end of 2024, allowing time to budget for any necessary improvements in the 2025 water utility budget.
Q. What can I do to help?
A. Remain diligent. Turn off all sprinklers – automatic and manual. You may water new landscape plantings if necessary (not your lawn) by hand only on your designated days – Wednesday and Sunday for even addresses, Tuesday and Saturday for odd addresses. The best time to water plantings is before 10:00 am or after 6:00 pm to avoid evaporation. Working together, we can get through this heat wave.
So I guess we should install more turf fields since water conservation is no problem. Unbelievable.