Mandatory water restrictions in place for multiple NJ counties
Residents are being asked to conserve water as drought conditions persist.
Drought conditions throughout New Jersey have prompted water utilities to implement water restrictions in several municipalities.
In Monmouth and Ocean counties, New Jersey American Water has issued a mandatory conservation notice for customers to reduce water usage.
“Customers must limit all non-essential outdoor water use until further notice, including limiting outdoor watering to twice per week or less if it rains. When conditions improve, customers will be notified when the mandatory conservation notice is lifted,” the utility company said in a notice to customers.
The Park Ridge Water Department, which provides water service for both Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake, has also announced mandatory water restrictions that are in effect through Sept. 1, 2026. The company says the restrictions are “due to New Jersey currently being under a drought warning and reduced water production capacity caused by wells being taken offline for treatment upgrades and repairs.”
The use of manual and automatic sprinklers in Park Ridge will be limited to Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while Woodcliff Lake residents will be permitted to use sprinkler systems Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. They’re making exceptions for newly planted seed or sod.
In Madison, outdoor watering restrictions are in place. Properties with an odd-numbered street address can water outdoor areas only on odd-numbered calendar days. People with even-numbered addresses may water outdoors on even-numbered calendar days.
In addition, the municipality is restricting the use of outdoor sprinkler systems. Sprinklers and irrigation systems are permitted from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., regardless of your water scheduling day.
According to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for New Jersey released on June 25, most of the state is in moderate to severe drought, with parts of far South Jersey in “extreme drought” conditions.
