Outdoor Water Use Banned

Citing hot temperatures and drought conditions, Highland Park has instituted a ban on all outdoor water use for all water supply customers in Highland Park, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Lincolnshire, the Glenbrook Sanitary District and Fort Sheridan.

According to a Village of Northbrook spokesperson, the water ban does not affect Northbrook residents.

The indefinite ban comes two weeks after an . It's been instituted to ensure that water is available for public safety needs, according to Highland Park Water Plant Superintendent Don Jensen. Handheld sprinkling is still allowed. 

"We're at a point where we have no more capacity left," Jensen told Patch on Thursday. "Rains… have failed to materialize, water demands continue to climb."

Water needs to be available for showering, bathing, toilet flushing, as well as firefighting, Jensen said. 

"Those things are far more important than green lawns."

The last time the city banned all outdoor water use was in 2005, as a result of similar weather conditions. Rain came soon after, and the ban didn't last long, though Jensen said it was quite effective at the time. The total ban is the plant's last line of defense, according to Jensen.

"This is the last arrow in our quiver," Jensen said.

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