St. John Parish urges east bank dwellers to conserve water

St. John the Baptist Parish officials are asking the parish's east bank residents to conserve water whenever possible, as the two parish water treatment plants serving the area are operating at maximum capacity.

watering_lawn_sprinkler_generic_drought.jpgView full sizeLawn watering was photographed on May 31.

"During this time, it is important that all east bank residents conserve water and refrain from nonessential uses, such as watering lawns, filling pools, using water slides, washing vehicles, flushing lines, and all other activities that require large quantities of water," parish spokeswoman Paige Braud said in a statement released Wednesday evening.

The plants in Reserve and in LaPlace are producing their maximum output of 8 million gallons of water per day.

If available, residents and businesses are asked to set timers on sprinklers and water only during nonpeak hours from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Parish officials are also urging residents to limit washing clothes, flushing toilets, showering and dish washing to off-peak hours to prevent future restrictions.

"We ask that you please help us in conserving water during this peak period of water usage, which will also lower water bills overall," Parish President Natalie Robottom said in the statement.