Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Drought Task Force has announced that Beaver, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Schuylkill, Somerset, Tioga, Venango, Warren, Washington counties are under a Drought Watch.
“Pennsylvania received very little rain over the summer. We want residents to be aware of these dry conditions and be mindful of their water use,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “DEP makes drought declarations based on long-term trends. A severe thunderstorm or a rainy week may not lift the drought status for a particular area.”
There are different stages of drought declaration that can be declared by the Commonwealth:
- Drought Watch – a Drought Watch is typically declared for a county with three of the four factors in a “watch” status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to voluntarily reduce their water use by five to ten percent.
- Drought Warning – a Drought Warning is typically declared for a county with 3 of the four indicators in “warning” status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to reduce their water use by 10-15 percent.
- Drought Emergency – if conditions become more severe a Drought Emergency can be declared by the Governor and emergency water restrictions can be implemented. In the unlikely event of a drought emergency, water suppliers and/or municipal governments will guide residents about water use and conservation.
Drought declarations are based on four factors – precipitation, stream flows, groundwater levels, and soil moisture. The DEP Drought Coordinator monitors these indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which maintains gauges in streams and wells in many locations across Pennsylvania. DEP makes its drought declarations after assessing the departures from normal ranges for periods of 3-12 months. For a map that’s updated daily to show the status of all four indicators for each county, see the USGS Pennsylvania drought condition monitoring website.
DEP also factors in information it receives from public water suppliers. DEP will not implement mandatory water use restrictions outside of a Drought Emergency. Individual public water systems may implement their own conservation measures. While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing nonessential water use.
Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often and only with full loads.
- Shorten the time you let the water run to warm up before showering and take shorter showers. The shower and toilet are the two biggest indoor water guzzlers.
- Check for and repair household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily.
- Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.
- Replace older appliances with high efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40 to 50 percent less energy.
You can find more tips on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website.
More information about drought can be found on the DEP website: Drought Information
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