[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Committee
of the Township of Wyckoff 9-5-2023 by Ord. No. 1993.[1] Amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also repealed
former Ch. 183, Water, adopted 6-20-1989 by Ord. No. 1071.
The purpose of this chapter is to limit, restrict and regulate
the use of water provided by Ridgewood Water by customers of Ridgewood
Water during periods of use and emergency, as hereinafter defined,
in order to ensure public health and safety.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
January 1 to December 31 of any given year.
Hose end irrigation systems and automatic irrigation devices.
An irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer by allowing
water to drip slowly to the roots of many different plants, either
onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, through a network
of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters.
Any period of water shortage or imminent water shortage caused
by drought; lack or failure of proper pumping equipment, storage,
or other facilities; acts of God or public enemies; or excessive demand
upon or use of water facilities or capacity.
A hose designed to be operated while being held in the hand
and equipped with a nozzle that automatically shuts off when released.
The watering or sprinkling (including automatic sprinkling)
of lawns, shrubs, and gardens.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System.
The Department of Water Supply of the Village of Ridgewood.
A weather-based irrigation controller or soil moisture-based
irrigation controller meeting criteria specified and labeled as being
compliant under the United States Environmental Protection Agency
Water Sense Program, meeting the guidelines prescribed by Ridgewood
Water and approved by permit from Ridgewood Water.
That water delivered and/or supplied to any persons by Ridgewood
Water. This definition shall not include water pumped from private
wells for residential irrigation purposes, provided that the property
owner maintaining the private well has provided their name and address
to the Township.
The Village Manager is authorized, in their discretion, in consultation
with the Director of Ridgewood Water, to determine and declare the
existence and extent of an emergency with respect to the water supply
of the Village of Ridgewood. The determination of the Village Manager
shall apply to the Township of Wyckoff, and notification of the emergency
shall be promulgated to all such communities in the most reasonably
expeditious manner. Interim emergency regulations may be adopted without
notice by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood and shall
apply to the Township of Wyckoff and shall be promulgated in the most
reasonably expeditious manner to all the communities.
Public notice of the declaration of an emergency and the determinations
made by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood shall be made
in the most expeditious manner by publication in the legal newspaper
for the Village of Ridgewood and, for the other communities served
by Ridgewood Water, by posting in each municipal building and at such
other public places as shall be designated by the Village Manager
and the local administrators or Clerks of the serviced communities.
Notice shall also be disseminated through the press and the public
in general. The emergency shall remain in effect until declared at
an end by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood.
The following irrigation schedule and water emergency regulations
are hereby adopted to become effective as set forth herein:
A.Â
Irrigation schedule, effective year round:
(1)Â
All nongovernmental properties: Irrigation by a conventional irrigation
system or device may only be done on Tuesday and Saturday for odd-numbered
addresses and Wednesday and Sunday for even-numbered addresses.
(2)Â
Governmental properties: Irrigation by a conventional irrigation
system or device may only be done on Monday and Friday.
(3)Â
Irrigation using a handheld hose or drip/micro irrigation system
shall be allowed any day.
B.Â
The emergency stages shall be as follows:
|
Stage of Emergency Regulation
|
Drought Emergency Condition
|
User Restrictions
|
|---|---|---|
|
III
|
Pending/Critical
|
Mandatory restriction of irrigation for all properties to the
use of a handheld hose on Tuesdays and Saturdays for properties with
odd-numbered addresses and Wednesdays and Sundays for properties with
even-numbered addresses. No irrigation of any kind shall be allowed
on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays.
|
|
IV
|
Critical
|
Irrigation is prohibited at any time. Exceptions for irrigation
using a handheld hose may be allowed under conditions prescribed by
the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood.
|
C.Â
Stage III and Stage IV emergency regulations shall become effective
upon declaration of each stage by the Village Manager of the Village
of Ridgewood. The cleaning of cars, houses, or property, filling of
swimming pools, or other outdoor water usage, including by water pumped
from private wells, shall be prohibited during Stage III and Stage
IV.
D.Â
Exceptions to the user restrictions shall be determined by the Village
Manager of the Village of Ridgewood or a Village of Ridgewood employee
designated by the Village Manager. The request for an exception shall
be submitted on forms prepared by Ridgewood Water and shall include
any required documentation. Exceptions will automatically be denied
for customers with bill balances beyond 120 days. Exceptions are subject
to renewal annually and may be voided at any time due to an emergency.
The exceptions may include the following:
(1)Â
Outdoor irrigation necessary for the establishment of newly sodded
or seeded grass lawns or landscaping within the first 21 consecutive
days of planting.
(2)Â
Irrigation of lawns or plantings with smart controllers, approved by permit from Ridgewood Water, and limited to the irrigation hours specified in Subsection E of this chapter.
(3)Â
Outdoor water use from rain harvesting (rain barrels, etc.), gray
water, or reclaimed water. Use of gray or reclaimed water must have
an approved NJPDES permit issued through the NJDEP.
(4)Â
Outdoor irrigation necessary for one day only where treatment with
an application of chemicals require immediate watering to preserve
an existing landscape or to establish a new landscape.
(5)Â
Other outdoor water usage.
E.Â
Irrigation shall not be conducted between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
on any day. Irrigation using automatic systems, including Smart Controllers,
may only be used between 3:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m.
F.Â
All automatic irrigation systems shall be equipped with an operational
automatic rain sensor device. Each rain sensor device shall be capable
of and programmed to interrupt the automatic irrigation cycle when
1/4 inch of rain has fallen.
A.Â
It shall be unlawful and a violation hereof for any person to use
water in violation of this chapter. Penalties for any property owner(s)
found to be in violation of the provisions of this chapter shall be
as follows per violation per individual block and lot location:
|
Number of violations within a calendar year
|
Penalty
|
|---|---|
|
First and second occurrences
|
Warning only
|
|
3rd occurrence
|
$100
|
|
4th occurrence
|
$250
|
|
Over four occurrences
|
$500 per occurrence
|
B.Â
Failure to comply with any section of this article or pay penalties
imposed shall result in an issued summons to appear in court.
The enforcement of the provisions of this chapter shall be the
responsibility of the Code Enforcement Officer, Construction Code
Official, Zoning Official, Superintendent of Public Works, Township
Administrator, or the Police Department of the Township of Wyckoff.
