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After what seemed like an endless stream of water main breaks over the past several months experts determined that the disruptive and damaging bursts were likely caused by the stress put on the pipes due to the water rationing schedule implemented by the Department of Water and Power in conjunction with the City Council.
The current schedule is a two-day-a-week system that means that the pipes experience an intense surge in usage on those days.
Today the Council is expected to approve a new schedule, however, that will loosen the restrictions moderately, and will hopefully stave off further line breaks, according to the Daily News.
Under the proposed new ordinance, odd-numbered addresses would irrigate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and even-numbered addresses on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. to minimize evaporation. Street addresses ending in 1/2 or any fraction would follow the schedule for the last whole number in the address.
Residents would be able to turn on "non-conserving nozzles," such as spray head sprinklers and bubblers, for up to eight minutes a day, or 24 minutes a week.
