New Jersey homeowners in multiple towns are now under mandatory water restriction orders — and officials warn that ignoring them could make the state’s worsening drought situation even more dangerous.
The Morris County borough of Madison was one of the first to act, imposing strict outdoor watering limits two weeks ago. Under the order, residents with odd-numbered addresses may only water on odd calendar days, while those with even-numbered addresses are restricted to even calendar days. No lawn watering or sprinkler use is allowed between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on any day.
Two Bergen County boroughs — Park Ridge and Woodcliff Lake — followed with their own joint mandatory restriction, splitting watering days between the two communities to stretch their shared water supply as far as possible.
Current watering schedule for Bergen County residents:
Park Ridge: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only
Woodcliff Lake: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays only
The drought has gripped all 21 New Jersey counties since late 2024. The state’s largest water provider issued a mandatory conservation notice in December after conditions deteriorated statewide. The company has no legal authority to force individual households to cut usage, but it has been sending targeted notices to coastal communities in Monmouth and Ocean counties — areas expected to see a surge in summer visitors who could push water demand even higher.
State environmental officials are urging all residents across New Jersey to water lawns no more than twice a week, cover swimming pools when not in use, and consider switching to drip irrigation systems that can use up to 50% less water than traditional sprinklers.
With summer heat intensifying and no significant rainfall in the forecast, authorities say the situation may deteriorate further in the coming weeks — and more towns could soon be forced to impose their own mandatory orders.
