Metro Detroit communities ask residents to limit outdoor water use amid heat wave

With temperatures climbing across Southeast Michigan, local communities are asking residents to make small changes to help reduce water demand during the ongoing heat wave.

In Livonia, the Department of Public Works is encouraging residents to adjust their outdoor water use. Officials are asking homeowners to water their lawns between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., when demand on the city's water system is lower. 

City leaders say moving irrigation away from peak usage hours can help reduce strain on infrastructure and potentially lower costs.

Many residents say the request is reasonable and easy to follow.

"We all have to do our part in the city," Livonia resident Erin Schrieber said.

For Pietro Bevacqua, the city's recommendation does not require much of a change to his routine.

"I just put out a garden hose as early in the morning and then late at night because this way, the sun doesn't burn the grass, and also to conserve energy and water and things of that nature, I only do laundry at night, and I set my dishwasher at nighttime," Bevacqua said.

Schrieber said she has been relying on her backyard pool to cool off during the hot weather, but she is also willing to cut back on water use to support conservation efforts.

"I can water my plants in the morning or later in the evening, which is better for them anyway. Um, so don't mind that at all," she said.

Livonia is not the only community asking residents to conserve water. In Rochester Hills, officials are encouraging residents to limit outdoor watering based on their address. Homes with even-numbered addresses are asked to water only on even-numbered days, while those with odd-numbered addresses are asked to water on odd-numbered days.

Officials in both cities say the goal is to reduce strain on water infrastructure during periods of high demand and help prevent service disruptions as extreme temperatures continue across the region.