Daily Update: DEP Issues Drought Watch for Entire State

DEP Issues Drought Watch for Entire State

HARRISBURG (April 11) -- Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty today put all 67 Pennsylvania counties under a drought watch and called on residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 5 percent.

“Despite recent rainfall, precipitation levels over the last two months are below normal in every corner of the commonwealth,” McGinty said. “Two-thirds of our counties are 50 percent or more below their normal precipitation levels. The remaining counties are reporting a deficit of at least 25 percent.

“Although conservation is a year-round responsibility, now is the time for residents to manage water resources even more carefully to avoid serious problems if precipitation levels do not return to normal in the coming weeks,” McGinty said.

In addition to below normal precipitation, groundwater and surface water levels are low in many regions of the state. Even in areas with normal or near-normal groundwater and surface water levels, those levels are declining rapidly.

The Susquehanna River is 65 percent below its normal flow. Several streams and rivers recently posted record low flows for this time of year, including: Loyalhanna Creek, Westmoreland County; the Clarion River, Clarion County; Dyberry Creek, Wayne County; the Schuylkill River, Schuylkill County; Muncy Creek, Sullivan County; and Conodoguinet Creek, Cumberland County.

Public water suppliers, businesses and industries should monitor supplies during this drought watch period. Water-intensive commercial users should try to conserve water.
A drought watch is the lowest of three levels of drought status, asking for a 5 percent reduction in water use by residents. The next stage, a drought warning, calls for a voluntary reduction of 10 percent to 15 percent. A drought emergency, the final stage, includes mandatory water use reductions of at least 15 percent. Pennsylvania’s last declared drought emergency was in 2002.

All 67 Pennsylvania counties have been in normal status since seven counties on the western edge of Pennsylvania were upgraded from a drought watch to normal on June 18, 2003. With that upgrade, it was the first time since Aug. 8, 2001, that the entire state was normal.

“There are actions that all of us can take to reduce our daily water use in and around our homes,” McGinty said. “Not only will these actions conserve water, but they also will help families save money.”

Indoor water-conservation tips include:

Using washing machines and dishwashers only when loads are full.
Not running water continuously while shaving, brushing teeth or washing dishes by hand.
Refrigerating tap water to avoid running the faucet waiting for cold water.
Taking shorter showers.
Installing new shower heads and sink faucets equipped with water-saving devices, such as aerators or spray taps.
Repairing leaking and dripping faucets and leaking toilets.
Replacing older toilets with newer, low-consumption toilets.

Outdoor water-conservation tips include:

Holding back from watering lawns, unless newly seeded (grass often goes dormant --- it does not die --- during dry conditions).
Limiting vehicle washing.
Sweeping sidewalks and driveways, rather than washing them.

Pennsylvania’s Drought Task Force will meet Friday, April 14 to review the current precipitation numbers and overall status of surface water and groundwater resources.
More information on drought conditions, as well as real-time monitoring of drought indicators, is available on DEP’s Web site at http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/, Keyword: “Drought.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Following is a list of Pennsylvania counties and the departure from normal precipitation level for each county over the past 60 days. The departure includes the deficit in inches and a percentage from what is normal for this time of year:

Adams  -4.6 inches (51-75%)
Allegheny -3.0 inches (26-50%)
Armstrong -2.8 inches (26-50%)
Beaver -2.5 inches (26-50%)
Bedford  -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Berks   -4.4 inches (51-75%)
Blair -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Bradford -3.0 inches (51-75%)
Bucks   -3.9 inches (51-75%)
Butler   -2.6 inches (26-50%)
Cambria   -3.5 inches (26-50%)
Cameron   -3.0 inches (26-50%)
Carbon   -4.1 inches (51-75%)
Centre   -3.6 inches (51-75%)
Chester   -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Clarion   -2.5 inches (26-50%)
Clearfield  -2.9 inches (26-50%)
Clinton   -3.5 inches (51-75%)
Columbia  -3.6 inches (51-75%)
Crawford  -2.9 inches (26-50%)
Cumberland  -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Dauphin   -3.6 inches (51-75%)
Delaware  -3.9 inches (51-75%)
Elk   -2.7 inches (26-50%)
Erie   -2.0 inches (26-50%)
Fayette   -3.0 inches (26-50%)
Forest   -2.6 inches (26-50%)
Franklin  -4.5 inches (51-75%)
Fulton   -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Greene   -3.2 inches (51-75%)
Huntingdon  -4.1 inches (51-75%)
Indiana   -3.2 inches (26-50%)
Jefferson  -2.3 inches (26-50%)
Juniata   -4.3 inches (51-75%)
Lackawanna  -2.9 inches (26-50%)
Lancaster  -3.3 inches (51-75%)
Lawrence  -2.3 inches (26-50%)
Lebanon   -3.8 inches (51-75%)
Lehigh   -4.6 inches (51-75%)
Luzerne   -3.2 inches (51-75%)
Lycoming  -4.1 inches (51-75%)
McKean   -2.6 inches (26-50%)
Mercer   -3.0 inches (26-50%)
Mifflin   -4.1 inches (51-75%)
Monroe   -4.0 inches (51-75%)
Montgomery  -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Montour   -3.9 inches (51-75%)
Northampton  -4.0 inches (51-75%)
Northumberland   -3.7 inches (51-75%)
Perry   -4.3 inches (51-75%)
Philadelphia  -3.9 inches (51-75%)
Pike   -3.9 inches (51-75%)
Potter   -2.4 inches (26-50%)
Schuylkill  -4.4 inches (51-75%)
Snyder   -4.2 inches (51-75%)
Somerset  -3.9 inches (51-75%)
Sullivan  -4.3 inches (51-75%)
Susquehanna  -3.7 inches (51-75%)
Tioga   -2.8 inches (51-75%)
Union   -4.3 inches (51-75%)
Venango          -2.4 inches (26-50%)
Warren   -2.1 inches (26-50%)
Washington  -3.0 inches (26-50%)
Wayne   -3.8 inches (51-75%)
Westmoreland  -2.5 inches (26-50%)
Wyoming          -4.3 inches (51-75%)
York   -3.6 inches (51-75%)