From the Mayor's Desk

The following is a column by Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh, sharing her thoughts on some of the things happening in town.

From the desk of Mayor Joan Walsh: 

Aren't you glad that you don't live in the deep south? Or in the desert? Imagine having this weather for months on-end every summer.  We have family in Phoenix and in Savannah who tell us: "To each his own," and then ask about our winters. 

Due to the Heat and Lack of Rainfall...
 
This past Tuesday you should have received a "robo call" advising you that, as of that day, there are now voluntary restrictions on the use of water here in Harrison.  Other communities have imposed similar restrictions.  The question that I get is "Why?  The reservoirs are full – why the restrictions?"

There are two reasons:   

1. Although there is plenty of water in the reservoirs, that water has to get to the water tanks and then to your house. The Westchester Joint Water Works buys most of our water from New York City, the rest from Rye Lake.  The water is treated at two locations, adding chlorine and other chemicals, and then most of it sent  -- pumped up  -- to the water tanks, those big barrel-like structures that stand high up in the air on stilt-like legs.  In Harrison, there are four such tanks holding about 3 million gallons of water. These tanks are supplied by water from our Rye Lake intake.  On a normal summer day, it takes about 8 million gallons a day to fill these tanks and serve some portions of the town by gravity.  In this current heat wave, about 16 million gallons a day is being used. As the water is drained from the tanks as it's called for by houses, stores, restaurants and offices, the water  has to be replaced – pumped up into the tanks.  Keep in mind that some of the water has to go through thousands of feet of pipes from the intake at Rye Lake to the Tanks, and that the distance is not necessarily all on level ground. Pumps help move it from our Rye Lake intake to the tanks.  Other pumps send it high up into the Tank.  On its trip to your house, it may need to be pumped up one or more hills. Currently it is the capacity of the pumps to move the water from "A" to "B" to "C" that is being overloaded. For example, if at any given time or period of a day, the rate of water use exceeds the rate at which the tanks can be refilled, we experience low-water pressure conditions. And if, for a given tank, the maximum we can pump into a 1 million gallon capacity tank is 150,000 gallons per hour but we are using water at a rate of 300,000 gallons per hour, we will have a low-pressure situation. If this were to continue, the tanks would be empty in 6 hours and we would be out of water in the area serviced by that tank.  Wherever the "drawdown rate" is greater than our "refill rate," there is a challenge to the water pressure in your house, office or other establishment. It is in the off-peak hours –9AM to 3PM, and midnight to 4AM that the pumps get ahead of the "drawdown rate" and refill the tanks for the next surge in demand. Reducing that surge of demand to allow the tanks to refill to capacity is one reason for the restrictions. 
2. There has not been enough rain in the past few weeks. We all remember the time a few weeks back when it seemed that it rained every other day.  Well, that stopped, and now the ground is dry and brush and dried grasses are apt to catch fire. This happened last week in Veterans' Park.  We need to make sure that there is enough water in the tanks, enough water pressure for the fire hydrants to douse any fire that occurs – whether it be a grass fire or -- hopefully not -- a house fire.

• Water residential lawns and gardens every other day, on an odd-even basis, according to your house number.  
• No car washing.  
• Limit laundry and dishwasher use to mid-day or off-peak hours:  9AM – 3PM, and midnight -  4AM.  
• Limit water use to essential household activities. 

With everyone's cooperation now, we probably won't have to go to mandatory restrictions. I hear you ask:  Why does she know all this? Why is she involved?  The answer is that as part of being Mayor/Supervisor, I am also one of the three Trustees of the Water Works. 

Wildlife 

First it was the coyote scare, then it was the bear calmly wandering along the Purchase Street corridor last week. It has always been the Canada Geese, the rabbits, the foxes, the hawks, the wild turkeys, the deer, an Egret or two and Great Blue Herons. Except for the two attacks in Rye two weeks ago by one or possibly two coyotes, we have managed to co-exist fairly well.  We have learned that the coyotes, as with the other wildlife, are everywhere in town. Until now, they have stayed away from people. Nevertheless, it is only sensible to take precautions until we know more about these recent attacks. Experts tell us that running away is the worst thing to do. Making a lot of noise is a good thing to do, and having a stick handy. Remember that your small pet might look like "prey" to a hungry animal.  And, as always these days, keep an eye on your children, particularly the pre-schoolers.  We will keep you informed. 

Despite all the above, have a good summer!