Had enough of the sizzling heat, parched lawns, dead flowers, and heat index records?
The end may not be near; in fact, drought conditions may continue in the Midwest and Chicago area into October.
The operative words here are “may” and “could.” The National Weather Service does seasonal, long-range forecasts and is predicting that drought conditions, which it defines as less-than-average rainfall amounts, “could” extend well into the fall season. A NWS spokesman cautioned, however, that this is not an absolutely confident prediction.
“It is a distinct possibility, given the trend of rainfall and temperatures over the last eight weeks,” he said.
This information, plus record water usage by Huntley residents this summer, prompted Jim Schwartz, village public works director, to issue a recent reminder to residents about watering and lawn irrigation regulations and conservation.
“Water conservation is especially important because of the NWS forecast,” he said. “Residents need to start focusing on conservation. Water use has been at the second-highest level in our history, and the highest since 2005.”
So far, he said, village crews have issued notices about watering restrictions to residents found in violation of them. Starting now, tickets will be issued.
“We have handed out about 40 violation reminders so far, but only three actual tickets,” he added. “Folks have generally complied with the restrictions.”
The village limits lawn watering to 6-9 a.m. and 6-9 p.m. every other day. Schwartz added that the village also has stopped accepting any new permit applications for lawn irrigation systems.
The village has been pumping 4.5 to 4.8 million gallons of water a day this summer and has come close to setting stricter water-use limits for residents, including all those in Sun City, Schwartz said. In the winter, the village pumps 1.5 million gallons of water daily, he added.
While some master gardeners in Sun City have warned residents that some lawns could die, others say lawns generally are hardy enough to survive.
“Your lawn needs as little as a quarter of an inch of water weekly on average,” said Ed Schuckert, a University of Illinois-certified master gardener. “You can measure that by putting a small cup next to your sprinkler, collecting a sample, and then doing some simple math to check how much your sprinkler puts out. If you don’t water your lawn for a month in a drought period, it will be dormant; it won’t die. Use small amounts of water just to keep it going, and it will be fine.”
Schwartz listed a few things residents can do to conserve indoor water use: keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run to get cold water, take shorter showers, wash only full loads of dishes and clothes, shut off the faucet while brushing teeth, and repair leaky toilets and faucets promptly.
Outdoor measures include adjusting lawn sprinkler systems to operate no more than twice a week; limiting or eliminating outdoor water use on weekends; using soaker hoses to water plants; using commercial car washes that recycle water; eliminate hosing down sidewalks, patios, decks, and driveways; and use a pool cover when a backyard pool is not in use.
And keep praying for a couple of nice all-day, gentle soakers.
