New lawn irrigation regulations have been approved by the Avalon Borough Council. They were drafted with the intention of preserving water in order to avoid the need for a new well or an increase to the borough’s water allocation permit, both of which would be very costly.

The rules state that houses whose addresses end in even numbers will be allowed to run irrigation systems on even numbered days, while those whose addresses end in odd numbers may do so on odd numbered days. In either case, watering is to be restricted to the hours between midnight and 9am, and the system may only run for a maximum of 30 minutes. There is an exception for newly installed lawns, which allows them to be irrigated daily for their first 21 days, after which time they will be expected to adhere to the above rules. Flower boxes are also exempt and may be watered daily from April through November.

2024 is being considered a year of education for the new ordinance, but it does include penalties for non-compliance, so make sure to set the timers on your irrigation systems accordingly. The Avalon Environmental Commission maintains lists of drought-tolerant and native plants here, if you need any planting suggestions!

Cover photo by Mani Sankar on Unsplash.