Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced today after a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force that a drought watch will continue for 13 counties and a drought warning will continue for Clinton and York Counties. Franklin County has been elevated from a drought watch to drought warning.
Adams, Bucks, Cameron, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lebanon, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, and Westmoreland Counties remain in drought watch. Clinton and York Counties will remain in drought warning. Franklin County is being moved to drought warning to support the efforts of water suppliers and their customers to conserve water.
The most recent drought declarations map can be found here.
Residents on drought warning are asked to reduce their individual water use by 10-15%, or a reduction of six to nine gallons of water per day.
Varying localized conditions may lead water suppliers or municipalities to ask residents for more stringent conservation actions.
The following public water suppliers are requiring mandatory conservation:
- Christiana Borough Authority (PWSID 7360007), Lancaster County
- Eagle View Mobile Home Park (PWSID 7010055), Adams County
- Gilpin Township Municipal Water Authority (PWSID 5030010), Armstrong County
- Hanover Boro Water Dept (PWSID 7670076), York County
- Littlestown Municipal Water Authority (PWSID 7010022), Adams County
- Lock Haven City Authority (PWSID 4180048), Clinton County
- MAWC Sweeney Plt System (PWSID 5650032), Westmoreland County
- Monroeville Muni Auth (PWSID 5020027), Allegheny County
- Mont Alto Municipal Authority (PWSID 7280040), Franklin County
- Parks Township Municipal Water Authority (PWSID 5030025), Armstrong County
- Plum Borough Municipal Authority (PWSID 5020041), Allegheny County
- Rolling Hills Estates (PWSID 7210013), Cumberland County
- Rote Mutual Water Co (PWSID 4180064), Clinton County
- Suburban Lock Haven Water Auth (PWSID 4180049), Clinton County
The following public water suppliers are requesting voluntary conservation:
- Driftwood Boro (PWSID 6120001), Cameron County
- Lehigh County Authority NCSA Clearview Farms Division (PWSID 3480028), Northampton County
- North Wales Water Auth (PWSID 1460048), Montgomery County
- NWWA Durham Village Res Assoc (PWSID 1090099), Bucks County
- NWWA Ingham Mews Condo Assn (PWSID 1090103), Bucks County
- NWWA Olde Colonial Green (PWSID 1090097), Bucks County
- NWWA Pine Run Comm (PWSID 1090098), Bucks County
- NWWA Warrington Twp (PWSID 1090070), Bucks County
- NWWA Yorkshire Meadows (PWSID 1090101), Bucks County
- Riegelsville Water Company (PWSID 1090058), Bucks County
- The Hermitage Condo Assn (PWSID 1090102), Bucks County
- York Water Co (PWSID 7670100), York County
Ways to Conserve Water at Home
- 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% less water and 40-50% less energy.
Find more tips at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
How DEP Determines Drought Conditions
To determine drought conditions, DEP assesses information from public water suppliers and data on four indicators: precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture.
The DEP Drought Coordinator monitors the indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which maintains gauges in streams and wells in many locations across Pennsylvania.
There are normal ranges for all four indicators. DEP makes drought status recommendations after assessing departures from these normal ranges for all indicators 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 shares these data and its recommendations with the state and federal agencies and other organizations that make up the Commonwealth Drought Task Force. Declarations are determined by DEP, with the concurrence of the task force.
For more information on how DEP monitors conditions and makes drought status declarations, see the drought management fact sheet.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, please visit the website or follow DEP on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
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