Bethpage Water District Urges Water Conservation This Summer

Bethpage, NY (June 21, 2021)—The weather is getting warmer by the day, and that means irrigation systems are now online throughout Bethpage. During the summer months, residents’ water demand spikes within the territory of the Bethpage Water District (BWD) and across Long Island, causing water bills to nearly triple. Over half of the water pumped is unfortunately wasted due to inefficient watering practices. The BWD is here to remind all residents of ways they can cut back on their water use this summer.

“Water conservation is always important when talking about our sole-source aquifer,” said BWD Chairman John Coumatos. “The summertime can cause so much unnecessary strain on our water source without many residents even realizing it. Most sprinkler systems are in use while we are asleep, so the amount of water used to keep lawns green is often much higher than it actually needs to be.”

One significant way to conserve water this summer is by installing a smart irrigation controller. These smart controllers connect to local weather stations and continuously adjust watering schedules based on the forecast. This, in turn, allows the controller to understand how much water the lawn needs -- usually one inch of water per week -- and cuts down on any unnecessary overwatering.

“It is very eye-opening to see just how much water residents unknowingly waste during the hotter summer months,” said BWD Commissioner Theresa Black. “Installing a smart controller is the best thing our residents can do in order to cut back on their demand while also saving themselves a significant amount of money on their third quarter billing.”

Bethpage residents are also urged to follow the Nassau County Lawn Watering Ordinances, which provide the optimal times to water your lawn. The ordinance states that even-numbered homes can only water on even-numbered days, and odd-numbered homes can only water on odd-numbered days. Non-numbered homes follow the even-numbered homes schedule. The ordinance also includes that no lawn watering can be done between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on any day.

“Following these regulations and installing this water-saving technology can make such a difference in residents’ water usage,” said BWD Commissioner Scott Greco. “All of our residents have the ability to make a difference to help conserve water this summer and have a huge impact on reducing the strain on our overworked aquifer.”

To learn more about smart irrigation technology, please visit https://www.epa.gov/watersense/watersense-labeled-controllers. Be sure to also connect with your local irrigation contractor for more information about which unit is right for your system. For more information on water conservation, please feel free to call the Water District at 516.931.0093 or visit the Bethpage Water District’s website at http://bethpagewater.com.