09/05/2022
DEP Declares Drought Watch for 36 Counties, Asks for Voluntary Water Conservation: https://bit.ly/3COBYlA
DEP announced the Commonwealth Drought Task Force has declared a drought watch for 36 counties and asks for voluntary water conservation in those counties.
“A few counties have experienced very dry conditions over the summer, and a number of others have inched into increasingly dry conditions in recent weeks. We’re asking Pennsylvanians in all of these counties to use water wisely and follow simple water conservation tips to ease the demand for water,” said DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh.
The following counties are on drought watch: Berks, Bucks, Bradford, Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Delaware, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming.
Residents on drought watch are asked to reduce their individual water use by 5 to 10%, or a reduction of three to six gallons of water per day.
There are many ways to reduce water use around the house and yard, including:
✅ Run water only when necessary
✅ Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often
✅ Water your garden in the cooler evening or morning hours
✅ Water your lawn only if necessary
✅ Check for and repair household leaks
✅ Set up a rain barrel to be ready to repurpose rain when it does fall