Residents are asked to conserve water as Centre County is placed under a drought watch
Several Pennsylvania counties have experienced a dry summer and are now under a drought watch.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought watch for 36 counties, including Centre County. Residents are being asked to voluntarily conserve 5-10% of their daily water usage, around 3-6 gallons a day.
“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,” Ramez Ziadeh, acting DEP secretary said in a news release.
Other counties under the watch include Cameron, Clearfield, Clinton, Juniata, Mifflin and Perry. The DEP has not issued a drought warning or drought emergency for any county.
Two public suppliers are already limiting usage, Galeton Borough Water Authority in Potter County and Waterville Water Association in Lycoming County. Several others are urging residents to reduce water usage voluntarily.
What is a drought watch?
Droughts are measured on the Palmer index, which uses soil moisture, temperature and precipitation to determine the level of drought. For Pennsylvania, a drought watch is issued when the Palmer index is between -2 and -2.99, and a drought warning is issued once levels reach -3 to -3.99.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a drought watch can mean damage to crops, water shortages and low levels for wells or streams. A drought warning results in mandatory water restrictions, loss of crops and pasture land and common water shortages.
How to conserve water
The average American family uses 300 gallons of water a day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Most of this comes from three daily activities: showering, sink faucets and flushing the toilet.
While you can’t cut those out of daily life, there are ways to limit the effect on the environment.
The DEP released a list of ways residents can lessen their daily water usage. It includes:
Don’t let faucets run while brushing teeth or shaving.
Don’t wait long for the water in the shower to warm up.
Water the lawn only if necessary and set lawnmower blades 2-3 inches high to help the soil retain moisture.
Check for leaks in toilets, faucets and plumbing.
Water plants in the morning or evenings.
Consider changing to more efficient plumbing or appliances for long-term conservation.
The EPA also has a water consumption calculator, showing how much money and water can be saved by switching to efficient bathroom fixtures.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 11:04 AM.