HARRISBURG, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from June 9.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has extended the declared statewide drought watch.
While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing their nonessential water use.
Following a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will maintain the declared statewide drought watch.
At this time, 18 public water suppliers are asking for voluntary conservation in their communities. For a map of daily drought status and a weekly list of public water suppliers that are requesting or requiring water use reduction, click here.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to reduce their nonessential water use by 5–10%. Here are some recommended ways to cut back on water usage:
- Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often, and only with full loads.
- Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Take shorter showers. For example, consider not washing your hair daily.
- Water your lawn only if necessary. Avoid watering on windy and hot days. Watering grass lightly and efficiently will encourage healthier, deeper grass roots. Overwatering is wasteful, encourages fungal growth and disease, and results in shallow, compacted root systems that are more susceptible to drought.
- When mowing your lawn, set the blades 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil, improving moisture retention.
- Water your garden less often. If necessary, water only in the cooler evening or morning hours, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant. Focus on new plantings, which have shallow root systems. Older plants may endure dry conditions longer.
- Skip the car washing. If you have to wash your car, it's better environmentally to go to a drive-through car wash that recycles the water.
- Sweep your sidewalk, deck, or driveway, instead of hosing it off.
- Check for and repair household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily.
- Set up a rain barrel to be ready to repurpose rain when it does fall. For helpful information, see this Penn State Extension guide. Or just set out a bucket to capture water in the event of rain, and reuse it to water plants or the bird bath.
Drought watch, warning, and emergency status declarations aren’t based on one indicator alone, such as precipitation. The DEP assesses information provided by public water suppliers and data on four hydrologic indicators: precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture.
The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) is also urging Pennsylvanians to be aware of increased fire risk.
Low precipitation has dramatically increased the number of wildfires in Pennsylvania this year. There have already been 1,400 wildfires reported statewide so far in 2023, compared to 1,036 in all of 2022. This year’s wildfires have burned more than 8,500 acres, compared to 2,700 acres in 2022.
For more information on wildfire danger, maps, forecasts and tips on reducing wildfire risks, click here.
The next Commonwealth Drought Task Force meeting is scheduled for July 26.