Police starting to ticket
watering ban violators
By karl vilacoba
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — Police have decided that enough is enough in regard to lawn watering violations and have issued summonses to several offenders in recent days.
As of Sept. 26, 36 summonses and more than 200 warnings had been issued in the township, according to a memorandum from Police Chief Robert C. Holmes to Mayor Matthew Scannapieco. Addressing the situation, the mayor warned that fines for a violation can run up to $1,000.
"I don’t want to see any of our residents hit with a $1,000 fine," he said. "It’s not that we want to be harsh, but out of a sincere wish to communicate with our community" the seriousness of the situation.
As a result of the drought condition that has blanketed New Jersey for months, a statewide ban has been in effect since August on several water uses. Lawn watering at any residence, business or institution is prohibited, with few exceptions. Some allowances are made following the application of pesticides to a lawn, new seed or sod, testing a new sprinkler system or for athletic fields on alternate days.
Additional bans have been placed on washing cars, impervious surfaces and even serving water at a restaurant without a specific request by a customer. A complete list of the restrictions and exceptions can be found on the Internet at www.njdrought.org.
Despite the heavy press coverage and long duration of the drought conditions, police said many residents still claimed they were unaware of the situation. Some have been warned more than once, a factor that led police to their decision to issue summonses.
"If people aren’t aware by now, they probably never will be," said police Capt. Danny Schick. "There has been ample time given for warnings. After some point, you have to say enough is enough."
Marlboro police logs show several instances where concerned residents have reported what they believed to be violations in their neighborhoods. In some cases, numerous homes were reported at once, complete with exact street addresses.
"We’re getting phone calls from people who may have driven by in their cars or noticed watering in their neighborhoods," Schick said. "I think people are starting to figure, ‘If I can’t water my lawn, they shouldn’t be able to either.’ "
Several of the summonses for lawn watering violations have been issued in the early hours of the morning as residents slept, according to police logs. Schick said sprinkler system timers are often set for those hours, likely out of a mix of residents attempting to hide their water use and doing their watering when municipal systems are less pressured.
Schick said he was not aware which, if any, other local municipalities have begun issuing summonses, but predicts many aren’t far off from that point.
"Being a homeowner myself, I know it’s a choice between having a nice, green lawn or taking a shower and having water available to drink," the captain said.