Residents told to restrict outdoor water use after Florham Park goes over allotted gallonage

"

The Florham Park Borough Council is telling residents that they need to stop using water outdoors. The borough went over its allotted water use by 11 million gallons which gained the attention of the state Department of Environmental Protection. Now the borough could be facing fines from the state. The restrictions mean that homeowners aren’t allowed to water lawns, water plants, fill pools or wash cars. The restrictions are in place until Sept. 15. Borough officials say the high usage came about as a result of extreme heat and excessive watering in July. If the water use doesn’t start to come down, the DEP will fine Florham Park. The state DEP watches over the borough's aquifers. “We exceeded our gallonage more than we ever had in the past,” Borough Administrator Bill Huyler says. “We understand that everyone wants their lawns to look good and their houses to look good and that’s great but we are under the gun here.” The borough put a resolution in place that also allows police to enforce the ban. Florham Park police have already given some homeowners warnings about using water. A fine for a first offense is $250 and a second offense is $500. "