💧 More than half of New Jersey is 'abnormally dry'

💧 Little rain is expected anytime soon

💧 Some NJ towns impose mandatory water restrictions

Even though much of New Jersey is listed as "abnormally dry" by the U.S. Drought Monitor, the state has not reached the threshold for mandatory water restrictions everywhere.

A very wet winter and spring has left lakes and reservoirs in good shape. However, if this dry spell continues, that will not continue to be the case.

Last week, officials in Monmouth and Ocean counties imposed voluntary water restrictions and asked residents to reduce things like lawn watering, car washing, and to take shorter showers.

U.S. Drought Monitor

In Bergen County, the towns of Glen Rock, Midland Park, Wyckoff, and Ridgewood are served by the Ridgewood Water Utility. They urged residents to conserve water because "water storage tank levels are at a critically low level."

Officials urged residents to stop watering their lawns and to turn off sprinklers and warned that further restrictions were "imminent."

For these types of restrictions to become mandatory on a regional or statewide basis, we would need at least a few more weeks without appreciable rain.

Some local towns are not waiting

The driest conditions have been from Burlington County and South as well as in Northwest New Jersey.

Some local towns in those regions have urged residents to conserve water while others have imposed mandatory restrictions.

Pennsville in Salem County and Denville in Morris County were among the first.

The restrictions in Pennsville are until further notice.

In Denville, it has been dry, but the town is also repairing a local well.

"That well has been taken off-line which has temporarily reduced our water production capacity,” town officials said in a news release. Restrictions will remain in place through the end of June.

NJ DEP

Randolph, in Morris County, passed an ordinance in 2007 that limits watering between May 1 and Sept. 30. Violators face fines starting at $200.

The toughest restrictions imposed so far are in the Morris County town of Butler, where residents have been ordered to immediately eliminate any "unnecessary use of water." That includes lawn watering, car washing, and shorter showers.

Butler officials say it is a matter of public safety and are imposing the restrictions to ensure that firefighters have an ample supply of water if needed to battle a fire.

Townsquare Media illustration
Source: NJDEP

Here is a roundup of current water use restrictions:

Statewide Water Restrictions

💧 None

Voluntary Water Restrictions

💧Monmouth County
💧Ocean County
💧Glen Rock, Bergen County
💧Midland Park, Bergen County
💧Wyckoff, Bergen County
💧Ridgewood, Bergen County