With the drought conditions continuing in central Indiana, Indiana American Water is imposing a mandatory alternate day outdoor watering restriction that includes a ban on weekend outdoor watering (Friday through Sunday), effective immediately, for its customers in the Noblesville area.
The plan, which allows customers to do outdoor watering no more than every other day as determined by their address, is supported by a local enabling ordinance (Noblesville City Ordinance No. 29-7-09) that includes penalties and fines for non-compliance. Customers with even-numbered addresses may only water on Mondays and Wednesdays, and those with odd-numbered addresses should only water on Tuesdays and Thursdays. No outdoor irrigation is allowed on weekends (Friday through Sunday) until further notice.
According to Indiana American Water President Alan DeBoy, “With the drought conditions we are experiencing and no significant relief forecasted in the near future, the situation in our Noblesville service area has gone from concerning to critical. The drought conditions have put us in a situation now where we must take this action to limit usage to ensure we can continue to meet customer and public safety needs.
“While we know this will be an inconvenience in the short term for our customers, we are hoping that we will see some relief in the near future and that we will be able to ease or eliminate these restrictions,” said DeBoy. “We are already fast-tracking a project that is underway to bring a new well online that will serve the Noblesville area. This project and new source of supply will go a long way toward improving this critical situation by providing up to an additional 1.5 million gallons of water per day when it is brought online, hopefully within the next month or so.
“We are hopeful that these measures will address the concerns we have in the Noblesville area and we appreciate our customers’ cooperation on this issue as we head into the long, hot weekend, which would normally cause an uptick in usage.”
None of the company’s other operations throughout the state are affected by these restrictions.
In addition to adhering to the outdoor watering restrictions, the company is also recommending customers tighten up their water practices by implementing as many of the water saving tips below as possible.
- Limit use of water for non-essential uses like washing vehicles, driveways, sidewalks and buildings.
- Avoid any use of water that results in flooding or run-off in waterways or hard surfaces like driveways or streets.
- Repair any plumbing leaks quickly and utilize water-saving shower heads, toilets, faucet aerators and other water-conserving appliances and devices. Report any suspected leaks in company-owned facilities immediately to the customer service center at 1-800-492-8373.
- Avoid use of water for decorative fountains or the filling or topping off of decorative lakes or ponds.
- Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or washing dishes in the sink.
- Adjust the water level of your clothes washer so it matches your load size.
Additional wise water use tips can be found online by clicking on “wise water use” under the Learning Center tab at www.indianaamwater.com. A copy of the Noblesville City ordinance related to these restrictions is also available on the company’s home page. Indiana American Water’s Noblesville District has nearly 12,500 customer connections. Total population served is nearly 34,000 people.