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An influx of tourists and an intense heat wave last week led Cape May to break a local water usage record previously set two years ago, officials said.
As a record heat wave settled over New Jersey during Independence Day weekend—forcing the cancellation of the city’s annual parade—Cape May tallied more than 2.9 million gallons of water from its system. Temperatures reached as high as 105 degrees in nearby Cape May Court House.
The water usage in Cape May exceeded the 2024 record by 200,000 gallons, City Manager Paul Dietrich said.
“The water system was definitely taxed over the holiday,” Dietrich said during Cape May’s City Council meeting Tuesday.
Dietrich said Cape May County likely saw more visitors than usual because of events marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“There were just a lot of people in town using a lot of water,” Dietrich said.
To reduce strain on the city’s water system, Cape May officials increased water-use enforcement over the weekend, Dietrich said. Several restaurants were asked to limit the water they provided to customers.
Cape May has several regulations in its municipal code to conserve water during its busiest months, including a ban on washing cars in driveways on weekends and federal holidays during the summer.
Watering outdoor gardens is also banned between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., when city temperatures are highest.
Violators of Cape May’s water conservation rules face fines of up to $500 for repeated offenses, the city’s code states.
At least 29 New Jersey residents are estimated to have died as a result of the heat wave, with the deaths reported across 10 counties. Most of the deaths were among people living in homes without air conditioning, according to state health officials.
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