White Plains CitizeNetReporter - Drought Restrictions Still In Force. Reservoirs 7% Below Normal Capacity.

WPCNR County Clarion-Ledger. From Westchester County Department of Communications.August 14, 2002:As residents head into the dog days of summer and begin traditional family vacations, County Executive Andy Spano issues a reminder that Westchester remains in a drought emergency with mandatory restrictions on water use.

Westchester gets 85 percent of its water from the New York City water system. The region has been hurt by an unusually dry July and August, with only 1.8 inches of rain in July and only a three-quarter inch of rain since August 1, instead of the historical average of 4.2 inches in July and 4.0 inches for August.

Reservoirs approximately 7% below normal capacity.

Reservoirs are currently 75 percent filled, The system storage is in the low 80s compared to normal levels of 87 percent, and has have not fully recovered from the dry fall and winter when capacities were as low as 40 percent.

“It will take significant rainfall to bring these reservoirs to what is normal and desired for mid-AugustJuly,93” said County Executive Andy Spano. “We must continue to conserve water now to make sure that there is enough water for the very near future.”

“I am contacting all mayors and town supervisors regarding continued enforcement of water restrictions. We all must do our part to use our water wisely and limit non-essential water use. An increase in consumption could result in even further restrictions,” he continued.

“I am sending out letters to all restaurant owners in Westchester County reminding them to continue their practice of conserving water and providing water to diners only on request,” said Spano. July and August are typically the months when water usage rises. Current drought restrictions include:

• limit lawn watering to the hours of 5-9 am and 7-9 pm on an odd-even schedule: odd-numbered addresses water on odd-numbered days and even-numbered addresses water on even-numbered days;

• Require business and non-residential wpcnr_users of more than 1,000 gallons per day to devise and implement plans to reduce water use by 15 percent;

• Bar the use of a hose to wash sidewalks, driveways and automobiles.

For a complete list of residential and business restrictions and other water saving tips, please visit the county website at www.westchestergov.com.


Create an account		The White Plains Daily Internet Newspaper...Founded 2000 A.D....


			Designed and hosted by WestchesterInternet.com