Water District Offers Tips to Conserve Water and Help Lower Bills

Plainview, N.Y.—The Plainview Water District (PWD) would like to remind residents of the benefits of smart irrigation controllers and their use in the interest of water conservation. With the warm and dry summer weather quickly approaching, District-wide water pumpage numbers are expected to increase significantly due to the high use of irrigation systems. As part of its Preserve Plainview initiative, the District would like to provide residents with ways to save water around their homes and businesses.

“With the warmer weather, it is typical that the POB communities water usage grows significantly in comparison to other seasons,” said PWD Commissioner Marc Laykind. “The increased usage of irrigation systems throughout the summer months often results in over-consumption and higher third-quarter bills. It is important that we all make an effort to use best practices when it relates our water usage in order to protect our vital resource.”

Water consumption in the Plainview-Old Bethpage community nearly triples during the summer months, which is most notably attributed to irrigation systems. Water conservation will not only reduce unnecessary water waste and save money, but will also significantly decrease excess pumpage of the aquifer and demand to the District’s groundwater wells and treatment systems.

The Plainview Water District highly recommends the implementation of smart irrigation controllers to help increase conservation efforts locally. Smart controllers use a Wi-Fi connection to tap into local weather stations to automatically adjust watering schedules based on local weather conditions, ensuring that lawns and gardens only receive the precise amount of water they need in order to stay lush and green.

“Smart irrigation controllers are valuable investments for anyone looking to make the irrigation process more convenient and eco-friendly,” said PWD Commissioner Andrew Bader. “These systems are known to significantly reduce excess irrigation and water usage, while giving users healthier lawns. We highly encourage all customers to install this environmentally friendly technology.”

Smart irrigation controllers are effective at reducing water use because they use information such as local weather conditions, plant type and soil moisture levels to determine accurate landscaping water needs. The systems also adjust to weather conditions automatically, allowing lawns and gardens to thrive under optimal watering conditions without any user intervention. 

“As a community, it is our collective responsibility to take precautions to help preserve our most precious natural resource,” said PWD Commissioner Michael Chad. “Residents can participate in the simple act of conservation in many ways, such as installing a smart irrigation system or practicing better irrigation habits this summer. By doing so, we are not only preserving water and saving money, but are working to ensure that future generations of POB residents have access to this resource.”

Here are some simple ways to conserve water this summer:

·       Follow Nassau County’s Lawn Watering Ordinance

o   Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

o   Odd-numbered homes can only water on odd-numbered days.

o   Even and non-numbered homes can only water on even-numbered days.

·       Confirm your rain sensor is installed correctly and is functioning properly.

·       Mulch around flower beds to retain additional water.

·       Use a drip irrigation system to limit water lost through evaporation and improve the amount of water delivered to root systems.

·       Routinely check your irrigation clock and adjust time for seasonal temperatures and precipitation events.

·       Avoid watering on windy days.

For further information, or if you have any questions, please call the District at 516-931-6469, email info@plainviewwater.org or visit www.plainviewwater.org. Residents can also sign up to receive information by submitting their email address through the District’s homepage or following them on Facebook in order to stay up-to-date with District activities and initiatives.

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