Drought watch lifted for region
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced Thursday that it has lifted the drought watch for Schuylkill, Columbia, Northumberland, and Luzerne counties.
Our region was among 47 counties in which PADEP lifted a drought watch, which had been in effect for several months.
The watch remains in effect for counties immediately south of Schuylkill, including Berks, Dauphin, Lehigh, Lebanon, and Northampton.
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.
Varying localized conditions may lead water suppliers or municipalities to ask residents for more stringent conservation actions.
To determine drought conditions, DEP assesses information from public water suppliers and data on four indicators: precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture.
The DEP Drought Coordinator monitors the indicators in close partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which maintains gauges in streams and wells in many locations across Pennsylvania.
For more information on how DEP monitors conditions and makes drought status declarations, see the drought management fact sheet.
About Author
