PARK RIDGE—Citing the extended period of dry weather and three of its wells offline pending treatment for PFOA, the Borough of Park Ridge Water Department wrote consumers on July 14 to say it is forced to initiate temporary water rationing measures, effective immediately.
The notice says, “Although we have an adequate supply of water in our groundwater wells, we are having a difficult time pumping the water at the rate needed to meet the demand. Consequently, the following water restrictions shall be in effect until the three wells mentioned above are in operation. We are hopeful that the restrictions won’t last more than a few weeks, and if the dry spell ends and we get some much-needed rain we may be able to loosen the restrictions earlier. We appreciate your anticipated compliance.”
Effective immediately, the use of both manual and automatic lawn sprinkling will be permitted only on the following days:
- Woodcliff Lake residents – Monday – Wednesday – Friday
- Park Ridge residents – Tuesday – Thursday – Saturday
Exception to the above watering schedule is allowed under the following conditions:
- New sod or seed may be watered every day for 45 days after planting.
- Watering for two consecutive days is allowed after a commercial application of fertilizer, herbicide, or pesticide.
The remainder of the notice reads:
The use of a hand-held hose for both irrigation and the washing of vehicles is permitted on all days. The hose must be equipped with a nozzle that shuts off automatically when the hose is released.
Washing of impervious surfaces is allowed if the municipal or county health department deems such washing necessary to avert a threat to public health.
Washing of buildings (including houses, garages, sheds, commercial buildings, and similar structures), decks, fences, lawn furniture, windows, and similar outdoor use of water for home maintenance may be performed by a homeowner using only a bucket and sponge for home maintenance and cleaning, or a hose that does not leak and is equipped with a nozzle that shuts off automatically when released.
A homeowner may use their own power washer only to prepare a surface for painting, staining, or other coating or treatment.
Homeowners may hire a commercial power washer to perform any of the home maintenance and cleaning authorized, except for the washing of pavement or other impervious surfaces listed in section 4 above.
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) has been a manufactured perfluorochemical and a byproduct in producing fluoropolymers. Perfluorochemicals (PFCs) are a group of chemicals used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water.
See also: Borough bonding $2.2M over toxins: Filters needed at three shuttered water wells; hearing April 26.