Residents Reminded to Abide by the Village's Watering Restriction Rules

With the hot weather expected to continue through the coming week, the village of is reminding residents that summer water conservation restrictions are in place through Sept. 10.

Between the hours of 6 and 9 a.m. and 7 and 10 p.m., residents who have addresses ending in even numbers may water on even number calendar days. Addresses ending in odd numbers may water on odd number calendar days.

People with newly sodded and seeded lawns must obtain a village permit allowing for watering every day for 14 days with the prescribed hours. To obtain a permit, call the Public Works Department at 815-886-1870.

Lawn Watering Tips

• Water your lawn in the morning or early evening when the least evaporation occurs.
• Watering during the "Heat" of the day may scald or burn your lawn. Tiny water droplets on grass leaves act as miniature magnifying glasses.
• You can tell when it's time to water your lawn by stepping on it. If your footprints leave a long lasting imprint instead of bouncing back, it's time to water.
• DO NOT WATER THE PAVEMENT! Position sprinklers so that your lawn and garden receive the water.
• Do not drizzle. A light sprinkling is the least effective method of watering. A good soaking gets the roots. Let the water slowly sink in. A lot of water applied quickly runs off into gutters. Use a kitchen timer as a reminder to turn off sprinklers.
• A normal lawn requires watering to a depth of about 6 to 8 inches. This should take between 1 to 2 inches of water over the lawn surface. You can measure this by placing an empty soup can in the area where watering is being done and measure the amount of water collected in the area. Or, on the average, it should take about 1 hour to soak an area thoroughly. Don't forget to set a timer as a reminder it's time to move the sprinkler.
• Longer grass means less evaporation. Let grass grow taller in hot, dry weather. Set your mower one notch higher than normal.
• If you have a kiddie pool, recycle that water by using it on your off day to water trees, shrubs, and flowers with a bucket. If you don't have a kiddie pool, on your allowed sprinkling days, fill a bucket or other container to water on your off days.