Let Those Lawns Go Brown

Two years ago Wilton suffered a severe drought that saw many residents' wells dry out.

As temperatures reach into the 90s and 100s this week, and lawns start to get parched, the town is asking that residents refrain from hydrating their grass and focus, instead, on hydrating themselves.

"We've had a very dry summer," said First Selectman Bill Brennan Tuesday night. "It's important not to be watering lawns...lawns will brown out and they'll go into a dormant stage and they'll be perfectly fine come fall. But it's important not to be wasting water."

Brennan urged residents to conserve water wherever possible, including not watering gardens and lawns as much and conserving water usage around the house (minimal use of dishwashers, washing machines, etc.).

The one exception to the rule, of course, is pouring as much water as possible down your own throat during the blistering weather to stay hydrated.

Meanwhile, Aquarion, the public water supply company for much of Connecticut, has issued a peak demand advisory requesting residents of Westport, Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding, Georgetown and Weston voluntarily reduce their water consumption now through July 14.

The company is experiencing the highest peak demands in its 150-year history due to the recent heat wave, which may result in lower water pressure or discolored water, according to Aquarion. 

"To continue to provide the highest level of service and reduce the likelihood of water outages, Aquarion is strongly urging residents to reduce consumption now through July 14," according to a customer service audio recording.

The company is asking that residents reduce lawn sprinkling and requests that odd-numbered houses only water on odd days and even-numbered houses only water on even days. The company is also asking residents to defer washing their cars, avoid using sprinklers to wet pavement or sidewalks and if they see discolored water to not do their laundry until a later time.

Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut, an Aquarion subsidiary, is the public water supply company for about 180,000 customer accounts or more than 580,000 people in 39 cities and towns throughout Connecticut's Fairfield, New Haven, Hartford, Litchfield, Middlesex and New London Counties, according to its website. The company has been in the public water supply business since 1857, and employs about 305 people throughout New England.