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WATER ALERT

Due to time lag issues with our email alert system, the CPWA will be utilizing Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Clifton-Park-Water-Authority-109175848023202) and Twitter (@CPWater1) as the primary means of emergency notification going forward.  Customers are encouraged to follow us on either, or both of these sites.  Emergency notices will still be posted on our website at www.cpwa.org, as well.  Email alerts will be used primarily for non-emergency notifications.

Summer help needed to mow lawns, paint fire hydrants and perform general maintenance items at CPWA facilities.  Applicants must be 18 years of age or older and have a valid NYS Drivers' License.  Work hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 am to 4 pm.  $12.50/hour.  Applications are available at our office located at 661 Clifton Park Center Road, Clifton Park. 

A few years ago, the CPWA created an email alert system to notify customers in the event of an emergency.  It was intended to provide the primary means of notification and while the system works well for customers who signed up early, it does not work well for those signed up later.

In order to avoid having our email notices flagged as spam, we are limited to sending out small packets of emails every 15 minutes.  These are sent out in a sort of first in/first out order, in that the first packet of emails is sent to the customers who signed up for email alerts early on and the last packet is sent out to the customers who signed up very recently. The problem this creates is that many customers experience that their email notification isn't arriving for several hours from the intial posting.  Some have stated that they didn't get the email until 7 hours after the alert was posted.

Many of our customers have expressed disappointment with our moving away from the email alert system.  We can certainly understand how customers who were receiving those alerts in a timely manner are upset by this change, but we need to have an alert system that works for all customers, not just the relative few who signed up early.

Until we can find a better method of ensuring that all of our customers can receive timely emergency notifications, we will be using Facebook and Twitter.  We will continue to post emergency alerts on our website and will use local media outlets or direct notification in the event of emergencies like boil-water advisories.

Customers are still encouraged to sign up for email alerts to receive other non-emergency notifications from the CPWA. 

Every year, the Clifton Park Water Authority implements water conservation measures in the form of odd/even lawn watering restrictions.  These measures are in place from May 1st through September 30th and are both sensible to conserve this precious resource and necessary to ensure the CPWA’s ability to provide continuous water service to the 35,000 people who rely on it for drinking water supply.

The odd/even lawn watering restrictions simply mean that houses with odd numbered addresses can water on odd numbered days of the month and even numbered houses can water on even numbered days of the month.  Compliance with these regulations by every customer in the CPWA system would all but guarantee that there would be adequate supply for the entire system, without the need to implement further restrictions during extended dry periods.

A lawn does not need to be watered every day to survive.  Proper watering techniques can help to guarantee the health and beauty of your lawn.  A lawn benefits most when it receives 1 to 1.5 inches of water, all in one application, as opposed to smaller waterings multiple times a week. 

It is also best to water in the early morning, before 10 a.m. to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation and maximize the amount of water absorbed by grass roots.  Water will evaporate four to eight times faster in the afternoon, as opposed to early morning.

Water conservation benefits not only the environment, but adherence to the CPWA’s lawn watering restrictions can ensure that we all have a continuous source of water for domestic use, while still providing adequate nourishment for lawns and gardens to thrive.

CPWA News