The purpose of this article is to limit, restrict and regulate
the use of water by customers of the Department of Water Supply of
the Village of Ridgewood during periods of use and emergency, as hereinafter
defined, in order to ensure public health and safety.
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases
shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
DRIP/MICRO IRRIGATION
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.
EMERGENCY
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.
HAND-HELD HOSE
A hose designed to be operated while being held in the hand
and equipped with a nozzle that automatically shuts off when released.
IRRIGATION
The watering or sprinkling (including automatic sprinkling)
of lawns, shrubs and gardens.
NJDEP
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
NJPDES
New Jersey Pollution Discharge Elimination System.
SMART CONTROLLER
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.
[Amended 4-12-2023 by Ord. No. 3940]
WATER
That water obtained, delivered and/or supplied to any persons
by the Department of Water Supply of the Village of Ridgewood or pumped
from private wells for residential irrigation purposes.
[Amended 4-12-2023 by Ord. No. 3940]
The Village Manager is authorized to enforce the provisions
of this article and, in his/her 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 all communities served by the Department of Water Supply
of the Village of Ridgewood, 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 all communities serviced by the Department of Water Supply of the
Village of Ridgewood 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 the Department of Water Supply, 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.
It shall be unlawful and a violation hereof for any person to
use water during the emergency period in violation of this article.
Any property owner(s) found to be in violation of the provisions of
this chapter shall be subject to a fine up to a maximum of $2,000
per violation, per individual block and lot location.
The following irrigation schedule and water emergency regulations
are hereby adopted to become effective as set forth herein:
A. Irrigation schedule, effective year round:
(1) 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) Governmental properties: Irrigation by a conventional irrigation
system or device may only be done on Monday and Friday.
(3) Irrigation using a hand-held hose or drip/micro irrigation system
shall be allowed any day.
B. 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 hand-held 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 hand-held hose may be allowed under conditions prescribed
by the Village Manager of the Village of Ridgewood.
|
C. 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 shall be prohibited during
Stage III and Stage IV.
D. 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) Outdoor irrigation necessary for the establishment of newly sodded
or seeded grass lawns or landscaping within the first 21 consecutive
days of planting.
(2) 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 section.
[Amended 4-12-2023 by Ord. No. 3940]
(3) 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) 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) Other outdoor water usage.
E. 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.
[Amended 4-12-2023 by Ord. No. 3940]
F. 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.
In accordance with N.J.A.C. 14:3-3A.1(a), if any person, whether
an inhabitant of the Village of Ridgewood or Township of Wyckoff or
of the Boroughs of Glen Rock or Midland Park, shall violate any provision
of this article in such a manner as to produce disturbing effects
on the service of the utility or other customers, the Village Department
of Water Supply shall have the right and it is hereby empowered to
cut off the supply of water to the premises and meter upon and from
which such violation shall have taken place for such period or periods
of time as shall be deemed necessary to secure compliance with all
applicable terms of this article.
The enforcement of the provisions of this article shall be the
responsibility of the Director of Water Supply, its Business Manager,
Superintendent of Water, Assistant Superintendent of Water, Supervisor
of Water Distribution, Senior Engineer, Village Engineer, Property
Management Officer, any duly sworn member of the Village of Ridgewood
Police Department, and any other officer and/or Village employee duly
appointed by the Village Manager.