The Port Washington Water District announced Thursday that it will expand a conservation campaign that saved more than 52,000 gallons of water last summer, offering residents rebates to install a smart irrigation system.
The campaign, Be Smart and Green, Save 15, began last year and encouraged residents to reduce water consumption by 15 percent between May and September — the months with the highest water use.
The water district installed a Smart Irrigation System Controller at its headquarters that adjusted the use of its sprinklers according to weather reports and which saved 52,000 gallons.
The water district is now offering qualifying residents a $150 rebate to replace their watering system with a Smart Irrigation Controller in an effort to expand conservation efforts to residents.
“Conserving water does not mean your lawn and garden has to suffer,” said Mindy Germain, a Port Washington Water District commissioner. “There are smart ways to implement water-saving devices and methods to ensure your landscaping remains green while simultaneously saving water.”
The water district is also offering the largest residential water users a free consultation to evaluate their irrigation system and look for leaks and other problems that are wasting water.
Last year, the water district pumped more than 1.4 billion gallons of water from the aquifer for the 30,000 residents it serves, and 860 million gallons of the water was pumped between May and September, officials said.
“Water conservation is always an important endeavor, but particularly important for an area like Port Washington, where our freshwater supply is surrounded by saltwater,” David Brackett, a water district commissioner, said. “Pumping more water lowers the level of freshwater in the aquifer and provides an opportunity for saltwater to leach into the supply — increasing the likelihood of saltwater contamination. The summer months, or the irrigation season as we call it, provide us with the greatest opportunity to make an impact on our water usage by being more conscious of the water we use to irrigate our lawns and gardens.”
The 52,000 gallons of water saved last summer was a 70 percent reduction from 2015.
“Many homeowners are unaware of inefficiencies that exist in their water and irrigation systems or the ordinances in place by Nassau County,” Peter Meyer, a water district commissioner, said. “Our goal is to help residents realize the simple changes they can make to their daily habits that will have an impact on their water use.”
The Town of North Hempstead has committed to help the water district and introduced methods for the Harbor Links Golf Course in Port Washington to cut back on usage, Germain said.
The water district will continue to remind residents of the Nassau County lawn watering ordinances, which require residents to water on odd or even days correlating with their house numbers, and restrict lawn watering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., officials said.
