Severe drought condition continues 

“We’re not doing great, but I had feared worse.” The speaker at Monday’s Water Advisory Committee (WAC) meeting was member Greg Toner.

The WAC is not changing its severe drought categorization for Shelter Island. But it is advising the Town Board to include one mandatory restriction banning sprinkler use for irrigation between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. — hours when water simply evaporates into the air, member Peter Grand said.

The specific use of the words “banning sprinkler use for the purpose of irrigation” was inserted to clarify WAC is not recommending a ban on parents using sprinkler systems to cool down their children on hot summer days. To cooperate with landscapers who start their days earlier, the call for a mandatory restriction on sprinkler use starts two hours later than is generally the case in other communities, and allows use after 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m.

The resolution unanimously passed by the WAC continues to advise home and business owners to use water efficiently and not waste it.

The committee’s advice is:

• Use drip irrigation systems on plants that need it but limit such irrigation to 20 minute cycles and not exceed more than three times a week.

• Use an electric leaf blower rather than water to clean driveways.

• Opt for car wash businesses that recycle water.

• Use water efficient appliances and plumbing fixtures.

• Check toilets for leaking tanks.

WAC members also agreed to advise the public that if drought conditions worsen, there could be a need for additional mandatory restrictions on water use.

There is also concern about Near Shore and Peninsula Overlay areas to be protected from salt water intrusion since these areas are prone to having well water affected by the problem.

Prior to the decision to recommend one mandatory restriction, WAC members talked about a failure to communicate sufficiently that there is a severe drought situation many residents don’t know exists. WAC Chairman Andrew Chapman credited the Reporter with focusing on that fact, but said the previous month’s notice of its concerns didn’t specify who was to broadcast the message more widely.

This time, the resolution makes it clear the WAC is an advisory group and can make recommendations and even offer to carry out some actions, but it takes the Town Board to either implement a recommendation or specifically ask the WAC to take actions.

Until now, that hasn’t been clear.

If the Town Board agrees with this latest recommended resolution, WAC recommends use of the public electronic notification board to advise of the drought situation; information on the Town website; email messages to home owner associations; the Town’s “Notify Me” email system; and social media.

Because the WAC and Town Board didn’t take more steps because members thought the effort wouldn’t be enforceable, is not a sufficient reason not to act now, Mr. Chapman said.

Communications going forward need to be “very intelligent, very targeted and very specific” in terms of addressing the problem, Mr. Grand said.