Hoover mayor declares water emergency with use restrictions
Hoover Mayor Gary Ivey today declared a water service emergency that includes water use restrictions in areas of the city served by the Birmingham Water Works.
The mayor’s declaration follows a Stage 3 drought warning issued by the Birmingham Water Works Wednesday.
It is now illegal to use water coming from the Birmingham Water Works outside the following guidelines:
1. Outdoor watering – Hand-watering of established lawns and landscaping with a bucket or a hose is allowed from 6 to 10 p.m. on allowable watering days. The allowable watering days for affected residents whose address ends in an even number (meaning the house address, box number or rural route ends with numbers 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 or letters A-M, or located with no address on the even side of the street) are Mondays and Thursdays only. People with addresses ending in an odd number (meaning the house address, box number, or rural route ends with the numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, or letters N-Z, or at located with no address at the odd-numbered side of the street) should hand-water on Tuesdays and Fridays only.
2. New lawns and landscaping – New lawns and landscaping are exempt from the watering restrictions only for the first 21 days after installation. Water should be limited to the minimum necessary and shall be conducted only between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m. After the first 21 days and up to the 30th day, watering of new lawns and landscaping is restricted to two days per week on the even or odd address days and times listed in Item 1 above. No grass watering shall take place on Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday. After the 30th day, watering shall be in accordance with Item 1 above.
3. Application of insecticides, fungicides and/or herbicides – Hand-watering for the purpose of applying insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides where such watering is required by the manufacturer or by federal, state or local law shall be coordinated with the schedule in Item 1 above, and hand-watering shall be limited to the minimum amount necessary and shall not be conducted between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
4. Use of fire hydrants – Fire hydrants are not to be used for any purpose except firefighting or flushing sewers for health protection purposes.
5. Watering of golf courses – The watering of any portion of golf courses, except for tees and greens, shall be suspended. The watering of tees and greens is allowed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 1 and 5 a.m. Hand syringing/misting is permitted for no more than five minutes per green on other days of the week when ambient temperature is equal to or greater than 94 degrees.
6. Commercial nurseries – Commercial nurseries are exempt from day of the week watering set out in Item 1, but commercial nurseries shall refrain from watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and shall restrict watering to the minimum amount necessary to maintain plants.
7. Washing mobile equipment and cleaning outdoor surfaces, buildings, equipment and machinery — The washing of vehicles by anyone other than commercial car washes is prohibited. The washing of sidewalks, driveways, gas station aprons, porches, buildings, industrial equipment and machinery is prohibited.
8. Ornamental fountains – The operation of any ornamental fountains or other structures making similar use of water is prohibited.
9. City-owned or controlled athletic fields – City-owned or controlled athletic fields may be watered Wednesdays and Saturdays between 4 and 9 a.m.
10. Newly constructed or existing public and private swimming pools, outdoor hot tubs, spas and jacuzzis — These items may be filled once upon completion. A one-time draining and subsequent re-filling of swimming pools is allowed only for repairs if conditions threaten the integrity of the pool and/or its supporting infrastructure.
Ivey, in a news release, said that although these restrictions apply only to residents serviced by the Birmingham Water Works, he asks that all Hoover residents do their best to conserve water during the drought.