More than 800 Howard residents have been cited for violating the county?s water ban, but officials expect to liftthe restrictions soon.
“It?s getting close,” Director of Public Works Jim Irvin said of the completion of the water main repairs.
Most of the 828 violators were guilty of using lawn sprinklers and washing cars, said Jeff Mozal, operations manager in the Bureau of Utilities.
No violators have been fined.
In a few cases, inspectors had to return three times with stronger warnings. One resident who was using a sprinkler received a fourth visit and was close to having his water shut off, Mozal said.
“He saw the light,” he said.
This year?s ban was looser than last year?s, but there are more violators, he said.
Outdoor use was banned in the evenings, weekends and holidays from May 1 through early September last year. This year, restrictions are in place on weekends and holidays.
The need for the ban stems from repairs to a 54-inch water main in Baltimore County that provides a large amount of drinking water to Howard. The pipe was corroding and breaking. The ban was needed to ensure adequate water for firefighting, officials said.
At a public forum last month, some residents expressed frustration over the ban and questioned when they could water their lawns on the weekends.
“We are starting to get more unhappy calls,” Mozal said.
County officials estimated the ban would be lifted Monday, but Mozal said it could be closer to Labor Day.
Baltimore County crews now are filling and chlorinating the line, so it can be tested then dechlorinated, said David Fidler, spokesman for the Baltimore County Department of Public Works.
He said he expects the line to be in service by Aug. 27. Baltimore County gets only a little water from the line and has not been under restrictions.
BY THE NUMBERS
» 828 residents received warnings for violating the waterban
» 46 houses received a second warning
» Three received a third warning
» There are about 70,000 water accounts in the county
Source: Howard County Bureau of Utilities
