First announced at the October 7, 2019, City Council meeting by City Manager Anthony Ruggiero, the City of Beacon is in a Stage 1 Drought. While you may expect drought conditions in the summer, Beacon did have plenty of rainfall this season. Droughts have been declared in past fall and winter months, including October 23, 2017 and December 9, 2016.

Beaconites use between 2.4 and 2.6 million gallons of water per day. The water comes from two wells, and three reservoirs that depend on rainfall to fill up: Cargill, Melzingah, and Mount Beacon. Beacon also buys water from Fishkill. Currently, Well #2 has been taken offline due to a fracture 240 feet down, which was causing “high turbidity from silting.” Repairs to Well #2 are expected to take three months.

As of October 7, the three reservoirs were below the designated safe levels by the following amounts: Cargill (6 feet), Melzingah (15 feet-plus), and Mount Beacon (8 feet) according to Edward Balicki, director of operations for the Beacon Water Department. “These levels place the total capacity at about 60 percent, which is the main parameter for the Stage 1 Alert,” said Edward in a letter to the City of Beacon.

Beacon is currently in a building moratorium, with water supply concerns cited as the justification for the six-month pause in approving new building applications (get moratorium details here). During a water study, it was determined that there is enough water, and even a projected surplus. But the City Council is proceeding with caution.

Hasn’t It Been Raining? Will The Reservoirs Fill Up?

Despite the rain during the past two weeks, the reservoirs have not filled up. But, they have held steady. “There has been no significant change to the reservoir levels since the Drought notice [on October 7, 2019], which is a good thing,” said Anthony via email to A Little Beacon Blog. “The recent rainfall has helped hold the reservoirs to the same levels from two weeks ago. There is more rain forecasted for tomorrow [Tuesday] and possibly several days next week.”

Recommended Water Conservation Methods

There are several actions you can take to conserve water, which are recommended by the city, including:

• Limit car washing to commercial vehicle-washing facilities (i.e. car washes).

• Limit the washing of sidewalks, driveways or outdoor areas.

• Limit the use of water for ornamental purposes, including waterfalls, pools and ponds.

• Limit the filling of pools (pretty easy this time of year!).

• Only water lawns between the hours of 7 am and 8 am and 10 pm and 11 pm.

• Repair any leaking pipes or faulty plumbing. (This should be done anyway to limit wasted water and reduce the consumer’s water bill, according to the city.)

• Refrain from opening any hydrant without permission from the Water Department.