“Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.” Not! We need the rain, desperately. You would have to have your head in the sand (very dry sand that is) not to know that we are suffering from severe drought conditions here in Greenwich. Drive by one of our reservoirs and you will easily see the low water levels. By some accounts our reservoirs are at 34 percent of their capacity. With little rain in the foreseeable forecast, this is a significant challenge for our community.
This is not a problem that was just realized last week. This has been almost a year in the making. You may remember the mild winter, followed by a spring and summer with little rain. And even though the National Weather Service is predicting a severe winter with many snow storms, that does not help us today. Fortunately, our water company, Aquarion, has been taking more essential steps since July, when it called for voluntary water use reductions, to help alleviate the situation. In August they asked customers who have automatic irrigation systems to reduce their usage to two days a week.
Aquarion, based in Bridgeport, provides water for 51 communities throughout Connecticut. As a public utility, it is regulated by the state and the Department of Public Health to ensure they are operating in the best interest of our communities and for the safety of our water supply.
Many of us became aware of the severity of the drought after our Board of Selectman, in consultation with Aquarion, issued mandatory water restrictions on Sept. 22 that banned the use of irrigation systems and other activities. Ours was the first community in Connecticut to issue such restrictions. On Sept. 23 the state issued an Emergency Water Restriction Order that allows Aquarion to move water from one system to another. Currently several million gallons of water are being sent from Stamford, which has larger and fuller reservoirs than we do, to our reservoir. This type of cooperation between communities is laudable. We must do our part as well.
Last Thursday our Board of Selectmen wisely enacted Phase 2 of Water Use Restrictions, which virtually eliminate all outside watering. Details can be found on the town’s website at www.greenwichct.org. Fortunately, fall is here and there really is no longer a need for outdoor watering. Our lawns will survive just fine until next spring. In fact, the old saying “the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence” may take on new meaning as the Greenwich Police are able to issue tickets to those still watering their lawns.
Word is getting out about the water restrictions. Social media feeds of residents are commenting on it. The media is reporting it. Beginning in September, Aquarion launched a very proactive outreach campaign to our community and three others, Stamford, New Canaan and Darien, which are also facing severe drought conditions. In an effort to get residents to reduce water usage, Aquarion has knocked on 18,000 doors, met with the top water users, sent a special oversized postcard regarding the water use restriction, hired a phone bank to call all of their customers, and, beginning this weekend, you may see a mobile billboard driving around town to further help bring attention to the situation.
In the midst of the most severe drought our community has faced in nearly 15 years, Aquarion and our Board of Selectmen are doing the right thing. We applaud their efforts. Our question is, What are you doing? This is not a situation where, because our neighbor is complying, we do not have to. We do. Tickets aside. For the good of all and the betterment of our entire community we strongly encourage all residents and building owners to adhere to the water restrictions. Don’t worry: the rain will come another day, and then we can all go out and play.
