The Township Committee hereby makes the following legislative
findings:
A. The inadequacy of the water supply existing in the Township causes
inadequate pressure in the water mains and lines during protracted
periods of high temperature and during times of excessive use of water
due to outside uses such as sprinkling the lawn and filling swimming
pools not related to domestic or sanitary purposes, fire protection
or reasonably necessary commercial and industrial uses.
B. The Township is taking such steps as are necessary by way of improvements
to its water system to insure a potable supply of water with adequate
pressure to supply sufficient water to the consumers of said water.
C. These improvements will not be completed and operational for some
time.
D. Grave inequities have resulted through requests for voluntary compliance
with water use restriction whereby some residents continue to use
the water for outside purposes while other residents receive little
or no water as a result of inadequate pressure caused by said use.
E. It shall become necessary, in the interest of the health, safety
and welfare of the residents of the Township, to promptly take all
reasonable precautions and measures to conserve the existing water
supply and to prevent waste and the use of water in accordance with
certain rules and regulations.
Immediately following the issuance of any of the emergency proclamations
hereinbefore provided, notice thereof shall be published forthwith
in a newspaper published or circulated in the Township. The Mayor
and Township Committee, shall in their discretion, utilize other means
of notice.
All places and premises consuming water within the Township
of Winslow shall be subject to the inspection of the Mayor and Township
Committee or their designated representative if the Mayor and Township
Committee has reason to believe that any section of this article has
been violated. It shall be unlawful for any person to hinder, obstruct,
delay, resist or prevent the Mayor and Township Committee or their
representative from having full access into any place or premises
upon which a violation of this article is believed to exist.
Any continuing violation by any property owner or his representative
of any provision of any of the types of the proclamations issued by
the Mayor and Township committee is hereby declared to be a nuisance.
A continuing violation is defined to mean a violation which continues
one-half (1/2) hour after the Mayor and Township Committee or their
representative notifies the property owner or his representative of
the existence of the type of the emergency, and that the property
owner is in violation of the regulations of that emergency and that
the property owner has one-half hour to correct said violation. The
Mayor and Township Committee, upon the expiration of the one-half
(1/2) period and the failure of the property owner or his representative
to correct the violation, is hereby authorized to abate said nuisance
in the manner provided by law. The remedies set forth in this section
shall be in addition to those remedies set forth in the following
section.
[Added 7-15-08 by Ord. No. 0-25-08]
The Township of Winslow hereby initiates and adopts the following
water conservation program:
A. Restrictions on the outside use of water:
(1) Limiting the water use to alternate days by persons, firms, establishments
or businesses with even number addresses on even numbered days and
those having odd number addresses on odd number days with outside
water use being completely banned and prohibited on the 31st day of
any month.
(2) Outside water use includes, but is not limited to, watering lawns
and landscaping, washing cars and other uses such as washing porches
and sidewalks.
(3) Additionally, outdoor lawn and landscape watering on permitted days
is restricted to the hours of 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
to 9:00 p.m.
(4) Exempt from the conservation measures are commercial car washes,
power wash businesses, and contractors who must use water as part
of their daily work.
(5) The penalty set forth in Section 52 of Chapter
284 shall be the manner to enforce these water restrictions, except that for the initial violation only a warning shall be issued. Thereafter, penalties shall be assessed beginning with a first offense. The Township Code Enforcement Officer, employees of the Township Utilities Department and members of the Township Police Department are designated to enforce the provision of this water conservation program.
B. Water saving plumbing fixtures:
(1) All applications for development and building improvements/additions shall be required to utilize water saving plumbing fixtures as set forth in Chapter
72, Article
IV, of the Winslow Township Code, as may be amended.
(2) All landscape irrigation systems shall be required to use rain sensors.
C. Public notice:
(1) At least once annually to provide public notice to the residents
about the Township water conservation program and in said notice to
provide educational information on different means of conserving water.