Kingston Mayor Steven T. Noble, along with city”™s Water Department and the Board of Water Commissioners, have declared a drought emergency for all water customers.
The city has enacted the first stage of mandatory water usage restrictions, which include the immediate fixing of leaking faucets, a temporary ban on washing vehicles except by a commercial washing operation that recycles 50% of the water used, and a temporary ban on washing property any means that is connected to or supplied by the Kingston Water Department.
Furthermore, all ornamental artificial water features including fountains, waterfalls and reflecting pools that do not use recycled water must be discontinued. There is also a ban on lawns, golf courses, ornamental shrubs, plants and or trees except between 9:00 p.m. and 10: 00 p.m.
The penalty for violating any of these rules is $50 per occurrence.
“With only a few months of water remaining in the reservoir, I urge our residents to do what they can to conserve water in the months ahead,” said Noble. “The Kingston Water Department is doing everything possible to ensure our residents do not have an interrupted supply of clean, potable water. Efforts include tapping into alternate water sources, disconnecting the Town of Ulster from our system where possible, and working to find leaks in the underground system, but it is incumbent upon all of our residents to do everything in our power to conserve, so that our water supply lasts as long as possible during these dry times.”
Photo: Maarten Van Damme / Flickr Creative Commons
