Water watch consumes Town Board

The Town Board, at its Tuesday work session, rejected a call for specific, mandatory water usage restrictions for Island residents.

New data shows that all 13 Island test wells are below their median levels for past July readings, and two well levels are at their lowest for any July on record. These figures, along with a statewide “drought watch” in effect, spurred the Water Advisory Committee (WAC) to call for six mandatory restrictions. These include topping off pools, watering lawns, car washing and serving tap water in Island restaurants . (See below for restrictions list.)

Councilman Paul Shepherd angrily disparaged some of the restrictions. After a testy debate, the board agreed to make public the six restrictions, but only as “recommendations” for residents.

WAC members Ken Pysher and Greg Toner released the new data on well levels to the board that show nine of the 13 test wells are double digits below their average July values, and three others are about 9 percent below July averages.

In light of the figures, the WAC advised the board that because “July and August are months of maximum water usage, we believe that the town should assume a worst case scenario in that drought conditions will continue to persist though the summer; water conservation now might help alleviate severe shortages this fall.”

Mr. Shepherd focused on the car washing recommendation, noting that he hasn’t washed his truck in a month and “I really don’t want to be thinking of myself as a freaking scofflaw because I wash it tomorrow.”

Councilwoman Mary Dudley, later in the meeting, said she had just looked up the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s guidelines on conserving water, and one recommendation was “ to wash cars less frequently.”

To have credibility with water restrictions, the town should focus on lawn irrigation, Mr. Shepherd said, which is a major consumer of water.

Mr. Toner said that mandatory restrictions focus Islanders’ attention on a water shortage situation; it was “educational” that there is a “water problem.”

Mr. Shepherd responded, “I don’t like my mind manipulated in any way, shape or form.”

Asking that there be “relevance” to restrictions, Mr. Shepherd recalled the lengthy debate over codifying water usage in the past, noting that “I did the math. I showed you people during the irrigation discussion. I did the math until I was puking.”

Deputy Supervisor Chris Lewis, chairing the meeting in Supervisor Jim Dougherty’s absence, began to speak, but Mr. Shepherd, his voice rising, said that Councilman Jim Colligan, who had given what seemed like a lengthy tutorial on droughts in America had spoken for “20 minutes” and now it was his time to talk.

“Talk,” Ms. Lewis said. “But don’t talk in riddles.”

Mr. Shepherd said, “I talked in math and you looked at it like it was a riddle,” maintaining that the WAC data indicated that the well level drops were “a fraction of a foot.”

Mr. Pysher said that “water conserved today will ensure that you’re doing the right thing as a Town Board.” Addressing Mr. Shepherd, he said, “to get emotionally involved about car washing …”

Mr. Shepherd interrupted, saying, “It’s not car washing , it’s relevance, it’s actual impact on what we’re talking about.” He continued, mentioning “supercilious rules” that “aren’t going to make a damn bit of difference.”

Police Chief Jim Read, noting that statistics often don’t reveal the whole truth, then mentioned that “blanket” restrictions for the entire Island was unfair, since certain parts of the Island, the Center in particular, didn’t have a water shortage.

Mr. Pysher said that Island-wide restrictions should be implemented in the interest of “sharing the pain.” Later, he reiterated that “this is a shared aquifer and a shared responsibility.”

The WAC brought the matter and the recommendations to the board, Mr. Pysher noted, because data had revealed that the situation is similar to conditions of the drought of 2002. But now, he added, “We have many more, bigger homes, many more pools and a drought watch in New York state, with the projection that it will last though October.”

Town-recommended water restrictions
1.Pools should not be topped off with water from the aquifer,
2. Well-sourced lawn watering should be curtailed, whether hand-held hose or hose sprinklers and automatic systems should be disabled until further notice.
3. Restaurants should not automatically serve tap water to patrons.
4. Watering for residential irrigation of flower or vegetable gardens or landscaped areas should only be done from midnight to 6 a.m. using automatic irrigation systems, or between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. for hand-held or manually operated irrigation systems. Watering should be limited to 30 minutes per area.
5. Car washing should be limited.
6. Water should not be used on exterior surfaces such as sidewalks, driveways, garages, parking areas, decks or patios.