AVALON – Business Administrator Scott Wahl says the borough conserved 9.5 million of gallons of water in the four months since a new ordinance putting restrictions on irrigation went into effect.

The ordinance allows irrigation under an odd/even system based on the address. Homeowners can water their lawns and other greenery between midnight and 9 a.m. for 30 minutes on the appropriate day.

So far the results are promising, Wahl told the Borough Council at its Sept. 25 meeting.

The borough also has changed its own procedures and engaged in a process of infrastructure repairs that reduced water waste, he said.

The need for a change to irrigation regulations became apparent when the borough found all five of its wells in operation during the summer irrigation period in 2023.

Avalon was trying to avoid two equally unpleasant outcomes through the ordinance. The administration and the governing body did not want taxpayers to have to invest in a new well, or in a protracted process with the state to seek an increase in the borough’s annual allocation from the aquifer.

Even though the borough adopted the new ordinance in April, it did not plan on making enforcement a priority in the first year. Instead, an information campaign was launched to gain voluntary acceptance of the new irrigation rules. The borough also took a hard look at its own irrigation activities as an area of potential savings.

Wahl said the borough sees the progress as “a credit to the property owners who listened to the message and responded.”

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.