Newark does not have permanent watering restrictions, but the governor may mandate lawn watering and other water use restrictions by declaring a water emergency during times of drought. Local government entities can also restrict water use in certain circumstances.
Most of the water used by homeowners is used in the summer to irrigate their landscape, including the grass. Millions of gallons of water are used every day. Overwatering is a significant problem because most of the water is inefficiently consumed. Regardless of whether restrictions are in effect or not, there are behaviors homeowners can follow to conserve water and reduce the chances mandates will occur.
When is Water Use Restricted in Newark?
The State of New Jersey may implement and enforce water restrictions after the governor has declared a water emergency. However, municipalities or water providers can impose water restrictions as a result of local conditions, such as water allocator infrastructure problems and/or excessive local consumption.
If both the state and local authorities impose watering limitations, you must abide by the most strict imposition.
The City of Newark’s code details the guidelines for watering limitations when the governor or mayor declares a water emergency. Individuals using water supplied by the city are under these requirements during a water emergency:
- In severe cases, you may be restricted from watering any areas of the yard, including the grass and any other type of plants.
- Water cannot be used to clean off hard surfaces like driveways and sidewalks.
- In less severe cases, lawn and landscape irrigation may be limited to odd- or even-numbered days corresponding with your address.
Even when water restrictions are not being enforced by the state, there may be a drought watch in effect. Check with your county, municipality, and water provider about any limitations they may have imposed.
Lawn Watering Restrictions in Communities Near Newark
While Newark may not have permanent water restrictions in effect, nearby communities, like The Borough of Glen Ridge and the Township of Livingston, do. Since these neighborhoods are only about 5 to 15 minutes away from Newark, we’ll cover some of their limitations.
Glen Ridge
When To Water The Lawn
If you use a hose or hose-end sprinkler, you may water only between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. or 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Lawn Watering Days
- Even numbered addresses: Wednesday and Sunday
- Odd numbered addresses: Tuesday and Saturday
How Much To Water The Lawn
- No area can be watered for more than 30 minutes a day.
- No watering while raining.
How to Use Irrigation Systems Under Watering Restrictions
- Homes with automatic irrigation systems with a traditional irrigation controller are restricted to watering on the same days as stated above for Borough of Glen Ridge residents. However, there is the additional time restriction of only being allowed to water the landscape and grass between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
- Irrigation zones using mist or spray heads may only water for a total of 15 minutes per zone.
- Irrigation zones using rotary sprinkler heads may only disburse water for no more than 30 minutes per zone.
Read The Borough of Glen Ridge’s ordinance for more detailed information on their watering restrictions.
Township of Livingston
When to Water The Lawn
Restrictions are a little more lenient in the Township of Livingston, where hose watering and hose-end sprinkler irrigation are permitted three days a week. Watering is limited to the hours between 12:00 midnight and 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and 11:59 p.m.
Lawn Watering Days
Even numbered addresses: Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday
Odd numbered addresses: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
How Much to Water The Lawn
A single area can only be watered for a maximum of 30 minutes per day.
How to Use Irrigation Systems Under Watering Restrictions
- If you have an automatic irrigation system with a traditional irrigation controller, you are permitted to water your lawn on the same days as watering is done with a hose. However, you may only do so between 12:00 midnight and 9:00 a.m.
- Irrigation zones operated with mist or spray heads may receive no more than 15 minutes per zone.
- Irrigation zones operated via rotating sprinkler heads are limited to only 50 minutes per zone.
For more information on watering restrictions, like requesting an exemption for special situations, read the township’s official code.
FAQ About Newark Lawn Watering Restrictions
How do I know if water restrictions are in effect?
Contact your water supplier to find out about water restrictions. Your water may be provided by your town or city’s water department or county or municipal utilities agency. Water can also be supplied by private companies.
County officials like city hall or other county administrative offices should have information on current limitations.
To learn about state restrictions, check The State of New Jersey’s drought website.
What grass types need the least and most watering?
Tall fescue is drought-tolerant, so it does not require a lot of irrigation. Fine fescue is another grass type that handles droughts well.
Kentucky bluegrass grows well here, but it takes a lot of water to perform optimally. Perennial ryegrass is also an Essex County favorite, but it doesn’t fare well in dry weather.
You can read about these grasses and more in our guide on New Jersey grass types.
Doing Your Part to Save Water
As you can see, there are many things you can do to use water more responsibly. When you learn that the average person in the U.S. uses 100 gallons of water daily and that water use outdoors can double in the summer, it is easy to understand why areas of Essex County have ongoing restrictions.
If you want to make sure your home is equipped with the proper irrigation systems to mitigate overwatering and its harmful effects on the environment, LawnStarter can connect you to lawn care and landscaping pros.
Our experts can install efficient systems and handle lawn care issues, like eliminating the most common lawn weeds in New Jersey. They can also mow, trim, edge, and fertilize your grass so that it is as beautiful as the rest of Newark.
Call us, download our mobile app, or click to contact us and schedule service.
Main Photo Credit: King of Hearts / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
