Watering The Lawn In Livingston: Restrictions In Effect For 2024

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Township of Livingston. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The sounds of lawnmowers have replaced those of snowblowers, and grass and yard waste are being put out at the curb for pickup. As local temperatures rise, residents in search of a lush, green lawn may already be using lawn misters and sprinklers.

Residents are reminded that they must follow Livingston’s Lawn Watering Ordinance §316-20 water use restrictions which can be found at livingstonnj.org/LawnWatering.

Water Use Restrictions

Lawn watering with a hose or hose-end sprinkler:

• Watering of lawns is allowed only 3 days per week.
  • Even-number addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
  • Odd-number addresses may water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
  • Locations without an address may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
  • Those with special circumstances may apply for an exemption from watering regulations by contacting the Police Department.
• During the 3 days of the week on which each home or property is allowed to water lawns, watering is permitted only between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.

• The watering of any single area may not exceed 30 minutes per day on either of the 3 days on which a property is permitted to water the lawn.

Irrigating lawns with automatic irrigation systems equipped with a conventional irrigation controller (this includes all systems that do not have a “WaterSense Certified” Smart controller) — see section below:

• Lawn watering is allowed only 3 days per week.
  • Even-number addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
  • Odd-number addresses may water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
  • Locations without an address may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
  • Those with special circumstances may apply for an exemption from watering regulations by contacting the Police Department.
• During the 3 days of the week on which each home or property is allowed to water lawns, watering is permitted only between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 9:00 a.m.

• The watering of any single area may not exceed 30 minutes per day on either of the 3 days on which a property is permitted to water the lawn.

Irrigating lawns with systems equipped with a “smart” controller that is WaterSense Certified:

• To qualify in this category, the controller must be WaterSense Certified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (United States EPA).
  • Visit lookforwatersense.epa.gov/products to make sure your controller is on the EPA’s list of approved devices.
  • Even-number addresses may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
  • Odd-number addresses may water on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
  • Locations without an address may water on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
  • Those with special circumstances may apply for an exemption from watering regulations by contacting the Police Department.
• If the controller is on the WaterSense Certified Smart Controller list, the property owner must register the controller with the Township.
  • The controller must be programmed by a licensed NJ landscape irrigation contractor.
    • The controller must be programmed to irrigate between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 9:00 a.m.

• Registration forms are on the Town’s website at livingstonnj.org/WaterSense.

• Upon registration and confirmation of eligibility, the Township will issue a small flag for the owner to display on their lawn to signify that the property is irrigated with a smart controller that is WaterSense Certified.

• Residents that either already have or transition to a smart controller that is WaterSense Certified are exempt from the 3 day-per-week restriction.
• All newly installed irrigation systems in the Township must be installed with a smart controller that is WaterSense Certified.

• All automatic irrigation systems must be equipped with an operational automatic rain sensor device, which disables the system when a predetermined amount of rainfall has occurred.
  • Each rain sensor device must be capable of and programmed to interrupt the automatic irrigation cycle when 1/4 inch of rain has fallen.

Certified Smart Controllers

Livingston Township Engineer Jeannette Harduby reminds property owners with newly installed or existing WaterSense Certified Smart Controllers to register them with the township as soon as possible. The registration form is available on the town’s website at livingstonnj.org/WaterSense. Registration is free, and forms must completed online in order for the resident to receive a Livingston WaterSense Registered Property flag. The flag can be picked up in person at the Engineering Department counter located on the second floor of Livingston Town Hall, 357 S. Livingston Avenue. The flag must be placed on the lawn of the registered property, in a highly visible location at the curb line near the driveway.

“Anyone with a WaterSense Certified Smart Controller should register right away,” stated Township Engineer Jeannette Harduby. “Double-check the EPA’s WaterSense website at lookforwatersense.epa.gov/products to make sure you have or are purchasing an EPA WaterSense-approved controller. Once you have that information, it’s quick, easy, and free to register with the town.”

“We also remind all property owners to double-check their lawn watering schedules,” continued Harduby. “Any properties that are not registered and displaying the Livingston WaterSense Registered Property flag must follow the 3 days-per-week watering schedule as stated in the township’s Lawn Watering Ordinance.”

Prohibited Water Uses and Exemptions

Prohibited uses of water in Livingston:

• Watering any hard surfaces such as sidewalks, walkways, driveways, or parking areas, unless flushing is needed to protect health and safety.
• Outdoor watering during periods of rain.
• Using water to clean, fill, or maintain decorative fountains unless the water is part of a recirculating system.

Exemptions from water-use restrictions:

• Outdoor water use from rainwater harvesting via rain barrels, grey water, or reclaimed water.
• Watering athletic fields and golf courses.
• Irrigation of residential and commercial nurseries, trees, and gardens.
• Watering lawns by a commercial enterprise in the process of installing or repairing a lawn irrigation system.
  • For information on the specific requirements for this exemption, visit Livingston’s ecode online at ecode360.com/10301393 and view Water Use Restrictions § 316-20.
• Daily lawn watering following treatment with fertilizer, pesticide, or herbicide is allowed for two days starting on the date the treatment is applied.
  • Documentation of the date that treatment was applied must be produced upon request of appropriate authorities.
• Outdoor irrigation necessary for establishing newly sodded or seeded grass lawns or landscaping within the first 14 consecutive days of planting.
• Water applied using any of following:
  • Watering can
  • Handheld hose that is equipped with nozzle that automatically shuts off when released.
  • Alternative irrigation technologies that are low-pressure water delivery systems and that are directly on or in the ground, such as perforated soaker hoses, emitters, or drip tube devices.
  • Tree ring or tree bag (a commercially available device, placed on the ground around a tree or plant, which gradually releases water into the soil).
  • Recreational or play sprinklers utilized by children.

More Information

Residents can view Livingston Township’s Lawn Watering Ordinance 19-2016 directly at ecode360.com/10301393 or at livingstonnj.org/LawnWatering. For answers to questions on registering a WaterSense Certified Smart Controller, see the website at livingstonnj.org/WaterSense, email water@livingstonnj.org, or call 973-992-5000 ext. #5500.

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