Days after asking residents to voluntarily conserve water, the Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority has issued guidelines for water use after system demands reached an all-time high.

A drought and temperatures soaring into triple digits led to the high demand and Authority officials said voluntary conservation is the only way to avoid mandatory water restriction.

Water Irrigation Advisory

Lawn watering should only occur a maximum of three times per week, between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. 

The following guidelines should be used:

• Even-numbered addresses may water on even days of the month (2nd, 4th, 6th, etc.).

• Odd-numbered addresses may water on odd days of the month (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.).

Locations without a discernable address, such as rights-of-way and other common areas inside a subdivision, should be limited to three times per week.

Water Conservation Tips

• It takes 660 gallons of water to supply 1,000 square feet of lawn with 1 inch of water.  (This is almost the same amount as you use inside the house in an entire week.) 

• As a general rule, established lawns do not need to be watered more often than every five to seven days.

• Don’t allow sprinklers to water your street, driveway or sidewalk.

• During dry weather, raise the height of your mower so that you are cutting grass at the highest recommended height.  A higher cut encourages grass roots to grow deeper, shades the root system and holds soil moisture better than a closely clipped lawn.

• Avoid over fertilizing your lawn.  Fertilizer applications increase the need for water.

• Use mulch around trees and shrubs and in garden beds to retain moisture in the soil.

• Do not use the hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk.

• Use a shut-off nozzle on your hose so that water flows only as needed.

• Do not leave sprinklers or hoses unattended.

• If you wash your car, park it on the grass and use hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle.

Residents are asked to report water leaks, water outages or loss of water pressure, by calling 256- 233-6444 or 256-233-6445, ext. 128.