Aquarion Water Company on Wednesday announced the start of the 2021 mandatory sprinkler irrigation schedule for customers in Darien and some other communities.
The utility again is banning lawn watering on specified days to conserve water supplies by reducing overwatering of lawns and gardens. Aquarion has published a schedule providing for a maximum of two days of watering per week.
Customers may continue using drip irrigation, soaker hoses and hand-held watering at any time.
— an announcement from Aquarion Water Co.
The purpose of the conservation program is to ensure that local water supplies remain sufficient for critical needs such as human consumption and fire protection.
The permanent, twice-weekly irrigation schedule.
Image from Aquarion
This twice-weekly irrigation schedule for 2021 begins on April 1. This affects automatic sprinkler irrigation systems. Customers may continue using drip irrigation, soaker hoses and hand-held watering at any time.
Some residents may qualify for a variance from the schedule — for example, if they’ve installed new plantings or sod in the spring, they would be allowed to water more frequently to help get plants established.
Since its launch in 2017, the sprinkler irrigation schedule has contributed to more than two billion gallons of water being saved, which has helped towns avoid a complete ban on outdoor water use during dry summer months. Through customer adoption of the irrigation schedule, Aquarion expects to save millions of gallons of water this year.
Research shows that lawns and gardens can thrive on reduced watering. By encouraging roots to grow deeper into the soil, they’re able to absorb more moisture and nutrients, even during dry spells.
Homes and businesses with automatic sprinkler irrigation systems often use large volumes of water — about 40% more than properties without the systems. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other experts identify the overuse of outdoor irrigation as a major source of strain on local water supplies while providing no benefit to lawns and gardens.
The restrictions will also go into effect in Greenwich, New Canaan, Newtown, Stamford and Westport.
More information about the mandatory irrigation schedule, and information about landscaping and gardening with less water is available here, on the Aquarion website.
About Aquarion Water Company
Aquarion Water Company is the public water supply company for more than 625,000 people in 52 cities and towns throughout Connecticut, as well as serving customers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
It is the largest investor-owned water utility in New England and among the seven largest in the U.S. Based in Bridgeport, CT, it has been in the public water supply business since 1857.
Across its operations, Aquarion strives to act as a responsible steward of the environment and to assist the communities it serves in promoting sustainable practices. Aquarion Water Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eversource.