Drought Watch Declared in 36 Pennsylvania Counties

The Commonwealth Drought Task Force in Pennsylvania has declared a drought watch for 36 counties and is asking for voluntary water conservation in those counties.

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. See the DEP drought web page for a map of drought declarations that's updated daily.

According to DEP, "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." DEP also notifies all public water suppliers in these counties of the need to monitor their supplies and be prepared by updating their drought contingency plans. As local water suppliers assess their needs, they may initiate more stringent water conservation measures.

At this time, two public water suppliers are requiring residents to reduce their water use: Galeton Borough Water Authority in Potter County and Waterville Water Association in Lycoming County.

DEP reviews reports of public water supply levels and data on precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture to determine drought conditions. The government does not make drought declarations based on a single indicator, such as precipitation levels. No Pennsylvania county is in drought warning or emergency status at this time.