Mandatory water restrictions issued for Trenton residents amid worsening drought in New Jersey
The worsening drought is forcing a second utility company in New Jersey to issue mandatory water restrictions.
Trenton Water Works is asking customers to turn off the tap while brushing their teeth, take shorter showers and only run their clothes washing machine when it's fully loaded.
"We are probably one of the largest water systems in the United States," said Michael Walker, chief of communications and public outreach for the City of Trenton's Department of Water and Sewer, which operates Trenton Water Works. "We serve five towns, and we just want to make sure that drinking water is used for essential purposes."
Walker said Trenton Water Works gets all of its supply from the Delaware River, but because of the drought, the river is 8 feet lower than normal, which translates to millions of gallons of water that aren't available for customers.
"We've had high temperatures, we've had very little rain, and the state moved very quickly to issue the drought warning," Walker said.
Johnny Blanco, a homeowner in Trenton, is among 217,000 consumers with Trenton Water Works affected by the restrictions. He said he uses the least amount of water while hand washing his dishes, and he only waters his plant once a month.
"I wish everybody would cooperate a little more and preserve water," Blanco said. "We are very conscious about it. But I don't know if everybody is the same way."
New Jersey American Water issued a mandatory conservation notice Wednesday by requiring customers to turn off their sprinklers.
These restrictions go a step beyond New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who asked residents to conserve water voluntarily.
"Local water utilities, depending on their region and conditions, might still take more stringent action to preserve localized supplies," Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, said.
Murphy said if conditions don't improve, the state may have to issue a drought emergency, but that outcome could be avoided if everyone conserves water. He said the dry conditions have led to a record-setting wildfire season.
"The numbers are frankly staggering," Murphy said. "Since early October, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service has responded to 537 fires. To put that in context, that is 500 more fires than we saw during the exact same period last year, which is, put differently, a 1,300% increase."
Blanco is hoping Mother Nature cooperates so life can go back to normal.
"A couple days ago, it was a small rain," Blanco said. "We were happy about it. But it wasn't much."