Ridgewood Water to Meet this Weekend to Discuss Lowering Water Restrictions

After two months of serious drought-like conditions and accompanying Stage IV and Stage III water restrictions, Ridgewood Water customers may soon have a bit more freedom as to when they water their lawn.

According to Village Manager Ken Gabbert, the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook was at .8 feet over the flood stage on Sunday; Saddle River was .5 feet over the flood stage, and there was minor flooding in the Village as well. All that rain may not necessarily be good for some, but it's good news for Ridgewood Water.

Thanks to this past weekend's rainfall Ridgewood Water is "in very good condition," according to Director Frank Moritz, and the utility is at the point where it will revisit easing water restrictions this weekend.

"We'll see what's out in front of us a little, but other than that we're in very good shape with the tanks of the wells and hydraulics of the wells," Moritz said.

Concerns about precipitation during a heat wave at the start of the summer prompted Ridgewood Water to restrict usage throughout its system, which includes customers from the Village of Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Midland Park and Glen Rock. The Stage IV restrictions were later relaxed to Stage III, which limits when and for how long property owners can irrigate yards.

The utility has said in the past that sustained rainfall was necessary to lift the restrictions, which now that appears to be a distinct possibility.

Although the State of New Jersey's DEP has been hesitant to call the rainfall a "drought buster," the state climatologist said at a DEP hearing held in Milburn that the last seven days have brought rain falls above average for areas in North Jersey. According to the climatologist, areas in north Bergen and Passaic counties have received a month's worth of rain in that span.

State officials were concerned with some reservoirs in Bergen County, including the system for United Water, which supplements Ridgewood Water to help meet demand. Moritz said United Water was "totally incapable of supplying what they said it would," back in July when the Stage IV restrictions were enacted, and has said that they're currently using the struggling utility "on a minimum level."

Throughout the summer, Ridgewood Water has also had issues with resident compliance of the restrictions, which exacerbated the problem wrought on by the two-month long drought. Back in July, at a Village Council meeting, Moritz pleaded with residents to abide by the rules.

"I've never seen anything like it," he said of the lack of compliance at the time.

While overall compliance "hasn't been stellar," Moritz said it has improved lately.

Most of the causes for breaking restriction, Moritz says, are simply that "a lot of our customers in the summertime are sometimes not home or have trouble adjusting the sprinkler system."

As far as enforcement, "we can ask them to shut it off as a utility member, but only the police can issue a ticket." Village police, along with Ridgewood Water staff, have enforced the policy, Moritz said.

Surrounding towns using Ridgewood Water are also expected to abide by the conditions, and are under the same enforcement policies. The utility itself cannot fine residents of surrounding towns for breaking restrictions, and must ask for compliance from the municipality's police department.

"We always ask for compliance," Moritz said, and reported that other police departments have enforced compliance in their respective towns. Violators could be fined at least $50.

Wyckoff editor Nicholas Loffredo also contributed to this report.