NJ Still Under Drought Restrictions

Residents of all but the northeast corner of New Jersey will be allowed to use their lawn sprinklers over the next two months.

Restrictions were loosened in the state's Northwest, Southwest and Coastal South drought regions because landscaping businesses were being hurt by the ban on all lawn watering in those areas.

In the areas where the restrictions were changed, watering is now allowed two days a week and only in the morning and evening. The looser restrictions are on a trial run until June 28.

Hart said landscapers in those areas have agreed to help educate their customers about the new rules and how to use water efficiently.

The water use totals are to be compared with those from the past five years to see how well the communities do over the next eight weeks, Hart said.

Watering continues to be allowed every other day in the Central and Coastal North areas. Only in the Northeast drought area is regular lawn-watering forbidden entirely.

Some businesses have been vocal about their drought-driven woes. After hearing from landscapers and garden store owners in March, the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders asked the state to ease restrictions there.

State agricultural officials have said the water supply has been sufficient for growing crops, but nurseries have struggled because the watering restrictions have made consumers reluctant to buy plants and shrubs.

Other changes to the restrictions announced Tuesday let athletic fields be watered only every other day and allow drop irrigation for shrubs.

Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, said the changes are reasonable, though he said they are a bit confusing. He also said people need to realize that the drought is not over.

"If they want to water their plants or take care of the lawn a couple of times a week, they should look for other ways to conserve," Tittel said.

Since the restrictions went into effect March 11, the state water consumption has been down around 5 percent, Tittel said.

The entire state remains under a drought emergency following the driest fall and winter on record. Water suppliers are required to plan to interconnect their systems to share water. And cars can only legally be washed at commercial car washes.

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Author: 6 ABC-AP