Months-Long Mandatory Water Restriction To Be Put In Place In Northern Westchester

Residents in Northern Westchester will have to limit their water use during the summer as a months-long restriction is set to take effect.

There will be a mandatory water restriction in Northern Westchester through October.
Photo Credit: *Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr.com (Creative Commons license)*

Zak Failla

07/10/2021 10:00 a.m.

As of Monday, July 12, the Northern Westchester Joint Water Works (NWJWW), which provides drinking water to the towns of Cortlandt, Yorktown, and Somers, the Montrose Improvement District, and Buchanan, is implementing a mandatory water restriction in an effort to reduce demand.

Water Works officials said the agency is undergoing capital improvements at the Amawalk Water Treatment Facility, which will reduce the total production capacity by 25 percent.

There was also a 40 percent increase by consumers during the pandemic, officials noted, straining the company’s capacity.

 “As we head into the summer months (June-October) our demand typically increases and is offset by increased production at our Amawalk facility,” officials said.

 “Given the plant’s capacity is reduced and NWJWW is experiencing an overall increase in production (exclusive of summer demands) we have concerns we may not be able to keep up with future demand projections.”

The restriction is scheduled to last through Tuesday, Oct. 12.

Mandatory water restrictions beginning on Monday will include:

Persons or businesses located at even-numbered addresses may water lawns, shrubs, plants, and gardens only on even-numbered days;
Persons or businesses located at odd-numbered addresses may water lawns, shrubs plants, and gardens only on odd-numbered days;
Persons or businesses at addresses that are neither odd- nor even-numbered, such as numbers that end in a fraction or letter, shall follow the schedule for even-numbered addresses;
Swimming pools shall not be filled on weekends;
Use of water hoses for street cleaning is prohibited.

The water restrictions will not impact indoor domestic water use, including laundry, washing dishes, personal hygiene needs, drinking, cooking, cleaning, and sanitizing.

"We need to request water conservation measures be implemented to ensure adequate supply,” officials noted. “There is a direct correlation between water demand and rain events, the less rain we receive the greater the demand.”

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