Jefferson district further rolls back limits on outdoor water use, allowing some lawn watering

The Jefferson Water & Sewer District board of trustees agreed during a special virtual meeting Thursday evening to allow customers to water sod, lawn and landscaping on odd or even days based on the last number of their addresses, beginning Friday.

Watering would be limited to a two-hour maximum between 9 p.m. and midnight.

The loosening of an existing ban approved last week on all outdoor watering except for new sod and new landscaping is contingent on expected approval of an emergency contract between Southwest Licking County water district and Fairfield County to supply an additional 150,000 gallons of water per day to the Jefferson Water district. The Fairfield County administrator is expected to sign the deal when he returns to his office Monday.

If the agreement is not approved, the Jefferson board would likely have to meet before its regular July 16 meeting and restore the current ban.

Work to install new iron filters and water softeners at its Taylor Road water plant to improve the quality of the district's current hard well water has required shutting down the plant at times. That reduces water reserves in its Havens water tank that supplies the many new housing developments underway in Jefferson Township in eastern Franklin County. Days of 90-degree-plus weather has reduced the available reserve supply in that tank.

The board's ban on all other outdoor water use will remain in effect until further notice, including no washing vehicles and no outdoor recreational toys like slip ’n’ slides and soaking water guns. Customers may fill up a kiddie pool using no more than 50 gallons of water.

The board's vote to loosen the ban to odd-even watering to all lawns and landscaping came as a thunderstorm moved through the township, providing some temporary relief to homeowners.