As part of a water conservation strategy, New Jersey American Water is placing its Monmouth County customers under outdoor water restrictions. The conservation effort is in response to a river water treatment plant collapsing last week, leading to a disruption in water distribution in the region.
Under the water restrictions, customers can only use handheld garden hoses for outdoor watering between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., while the use of a lawn sprinkler irrigation system is banned. Water conservation measures in the home are also being encouraged by the water provider. If water consumption is not eased, stricter mandates will have to be enforced to protect remaining water supplies until full service can be restored.
The city of Temple's water treatment plant was also damaged recently, forcing the city to implement a Stage 3 water conservation restriction. At Stage 3 levels, residents are not supposed to use water for any reason until further notice. Lightning struck the treatment plant and damaged equipment. Thus, safe water was no longer being supplied to residents, TDT News reported.
Since then, repairs have been made and residents of Temple are now under a less stringent measure. Half of the city can participate in outdoor watering on Sundays and Thursdays between 8 p.m. and 10 a.m., while the other half can do so on Saturdays and Wednesdays, TDT News reported.
