Town board reviews irrigation-code rewrite including saltwater-testing thresholds
Board reviewed proposed updates to Chapter 82 to target irrigation permitting to the Nearshore Overlay District, add chloride testing in August, and set enforcement steps including shutdowns and possible abandonment of well-drawn irrigation after repeated failed tests (threshold discussed: 125 mg/L chlorides).
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Town staff presented a substantial rewrite of Chapter 82 on irrigation, focused on protecting island freshwater supplies from saltwater intrusion. The proposed changes would narrow some exemptions (for example, clay or grass tennis courts), drop a required rain sensor, and concentrate permitting and testing on properties in the Nearshore Overlay District. The rewrite adds a formal saltwater-testing protocol: owners would take tests in August and, if chloride levels exceed 125 mg/L, the code would trigger progressive enforcement steps.
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