Irrigation law to be floated in Southold
The Southold Town Board will weigh a new law regarding use of irrigation systems during a public hearing set for Tuesday, June 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Town Hall.
The new law would establish requirements for residential lawn, commercial lawn, turf and garden irrigation systems to conserve and manage the upper glacial aquifer, which is Southold Town’s sole drinking water source.
A Stage 1 water emergency was declared by the Suffolk County Water Authority in summer 2022, resulting in a call for residential and business customers in Southold, Shelter Island and other municipalities to stop irrigating lawns between midnight and 7 a.m.
“During the summer months, our infrastructure — while robust and continuously improved — is overburdened by the steep increase in water demanded by automatic irrigation systems,” SCWA chairman Charles Lefkowitz said in a July 2023 press release urging water conservation in the summer.
The proposed new law notes that “the sole-source aquifer system is a finite resource and serves as the only water supply available to meet the needs of the town’s population.”
Roughly 70% of water pumped during peak demand hours is used for outdoor purposes like landscape irrigation, according to the proposed law. It states that up to 50% of that water is wasted through overwatering due to inefficient irrigation methods and systems. The law aims to combat this through overwatering reduction and mitigation of issues like soil runoff.
Land used for agricultural production and agricultural operations or for nurseries and garden centers would be exempt from the proposed regulations.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSED LAW
• Sprinkler heads must not irrigate any paved areas or areas that do not require irrigation.
• Smart controllers — which calculate soil moisture from known weather and related inputs such as solar radiation, wind speed, temperatures, relative humidity, rainfall and soil moisture — must be attached to all new automatic irrigation systems and set to prevent irrigation after a half-inch of rainfall. After a half-inch of rainfall, the system must not irrigate for two days.
• During extreme drought, the Town Board would be able to pass a resolution preventing irrigation of all properties, except those that are exempt. Violators of said resolution, if convicted, would face a fine of up to $1,000 for each day of violation.
AUTOMATED IRRIGATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
• Even-numbered street addresses may irrigate on even-numbered dates and odd-numbered street addresses may irrigate on odd-numbered dates. Daily irrigation is prohibited.
• All new automated systems installed after the law’s effective date must be equipped with a smart controller and at least one rain sensor — a low voltage electrical or mechanical component placed in the circuitry of an automated irrigation system designed to restrict operation of a sprinkler when it rains.
• The smart controller and rain sensor must prevent the system from irrigating during rainfall or when soil moisture is sufficient to sustain plant life on the property.
• Any automated device installed must be properly installed, maintained and operated in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
• Contractors who install, upgrade or activate automatic landscape irrigation systems must provide written documentation to the property owner and Southold Town stating that the system complies with the law.
Any contractor or property owner who violates the proposed law would be issued a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation upon conviction. For second or subsequent convictions within five years, the fine would rise to $2,500 per violation.
The building inspector, code enforcement officers, ordinance inspector or other official designated by the Southold Town Board would be responsible for enforcement.
