Aquarion Urges Darien Customers To Conserve Water Amid Drought

DARIEN, CT — Aquarion Water Company is urging customers across its Fairfield County service area, including in Darien, to conserve water as drought conditions continue and some of its water systems are expected to reach drought triggers within the next two weeks.

The company said the U.S. Drought Monitor has classified the service area as experiencing moderate-to-severe drought, with reservoir levels remaining unusually low following a rainfall deficit of 10 to 18 inches over the past year.

Aquarion is reminding customers in Bethel, Bridgeport, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, Newtown, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Stamford, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton to follow its mandatory twice-weekly outdoor irrigation schedule in an effort to avoid stricter water-use restrictions later this summer.

Under the schedule, customers with even-numbered addresses (last digit of 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) may water lawns on Sundays and Wednesdays, while those with odd-numbered addresses (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) may water on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Watering is permitted only between 12:01 a.m. and 10 a.m. or from 6 p.m. to midnight. Addresses without a number should follow the even-numbered schedule.

Aquarion said the irrigation schedule is intended to reduce demand on reservoirs during peak summer months while providing sufficient water for most landscapes.

"With continued dry conditions and the potential to reach key drought triggers in the coming weeks, Aquarion is urging customers to take immediate steps to reduce their outdoor water use," said Aquarion President Lucy Teixeira in an announcement. "Everyone plays an important role in protecting our water supply, and by following the mandatory irrigation schedule now, we can help avoid more severe restrictions later this summer."

Aquarion also encouraged customers to reduce outdoor water use by allowing grass to grow longer to promote deeper root systems, avoiding watering during the hottest part of the day, skipping irrigation when rain is in the forecast, watering gardens by hand instead of using automated systems, collecting rainwater in barrels for garden use, and postponing new landscaping projects until the fall.

Additional water conservation information is available on Aquarion's website.