Even though some rain has come through the state this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a statewide drought watch that is in effect until further notice.
(Map provided by Pennsylvania DEP)
Acting DEP Secretary Rich Negrin said that while the rain this week has been welcome, it hasn’t been enough to make up for the lack of rainfall this spring and a winter that brought little snowfall to some areas of the state. As a result, lower stream levels have been seen and groundwater levels have dropped.
Residents and businesses are asked to voluntarily reduce water usage by five to ten percent. Some ways to do so are:
- Running dishwashers and washing machines less often and only when you have full loads.
- Turning off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth or shaving.
- Taking shorter showers
- Water your lawn only when necessary and watering gardens less often, and avoiding watering the lawn on windy or very hot days.
- When mowing the lawn, set the blade length to 2-3 inches as longer grass will retain water
- Not washing your car
- Setting up a rain barrel to repurpose rain when it does fall. Even putting out a bucket to catch rain to use for watering plants and for birdbaths will help.
For more ways to reduce water use, you can log on to the US Environmental Protection Agency Drought and Watersense Page.
