Preserving water during the summer

As the temperature rises during the summer season, New York American Water is asking that its Nassau County customers to use an odd/even schedule for outside watering to help avert the possibility of “stringent summertime water use restrictions,” company officials said.
“Odd/even watering now will help us manage a finite supply of water, yet our customers will still be able to maintain healthy lawns and vegetation,” said Brian Bruce, president of New York American Water. “In past years, our customers have helped reduce water demands when we’ve asked, and we thank them in advance for their cooperation this year.”
In accordance with the county’s public health ordinance, outdoor watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. New York American Water encourages evening irrigation between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• Watering your lawn or garden should occur only on odd days of the month if your street address is an odd number (i.e., 23 Oak St., 7 Maple Ave.)
• Watering your lawn or garden should occur only on even days of the month if your street address is an even number (i.e., 6 Oak St., 354 Maple Ave.)

These regulations would NOT apply to:
• Watering of sod or newly seeded lawns if daily watering is required (note: it is recommended that any planting of new sod or seed that has not already taken place be delayed until the fall)
• Use of private wells for lawn irrigation
• Commercial uses of outdoor water, such as for nurseries, farm stands, power washing, plumbing, and commercial car washes
• Watering of athletic fields

Should water demands continue to significantly increase or supplies continue to significantly decrease, formal and more strict water restrictions may be needed to ensure continued water service, company officials said.