Rockland Asking Families To Continue Conserving Water

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — While Rockland County is no longer restricting water usage, officials are still encouraging families to continue voluntary conservation.

Water usage across the county remains 15 percent below average after mandatory restrictions were changed to voluntary Sept. 14.

County Executive Ed Day said residents deserved thanks for doing their part and asks them to continue those efforts for a while longer.

“When the people of Rockland are presented with a crisis,” he said, “they always step forward to do the right thing.”

Incredibly dry conditions during the summer led to unprecedented flow levels in the Ramapo River which limited use of Veolia’s Ramapo Valley Well Field, a significant source of water for county residents. That triggered a water emergency Aug. 18.

As of Oct. 1, Rockland is no longer hitting any drought triggers, officials said, but the Department of Health is encouraging people to continue to conserve water and allow storage in Potake Pond to recover.

Fortunately, rainfall in September was above average, the county said.

Reducing usage along with normal precipitation through the fall and winter is expected to replenish the finite resources.