Drought Watch In Delaware County, Water Use Reduction Encouraged

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — After months of overly dry conditions and intense heat, state officials have declared a drought watch in Delaware County.

Delco was one of 36 counties to be placed under a drought watch Wednesday by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

“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," Acting DEP Secretary Ramez Ziadeh said. "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."

Delaware County residents are being asked to reduce their individual water use by 5 to 10 percent, or a reduction of three to six gallons of water per day.

Below are tips on how to reduce water usage:

• Run water only when necessary. Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Shorten the time you let the water run to warm up before showering.
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine less often, and only with full loads.
• Water your garden in the cooler evening or morning hours, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant, so you don’t waste water through evaporation.
• Water your lawn only if necessary. Apply no more than 1 inch of water per week (use an empty can to determine how long it takes to water 1 inch). Avoid watering on windy and hot days. This pattern will encourage healthier, deeper grass roots. Over-watering 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 to 2-3 inches high. Longer grass shades the soil, improving moisture retention. It also grows thicker and develops a deeper root system, so it can better survive drought.
• Check for and repair household leaks. For example, a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water daily.
• Sweep your sidewalk, deck, or driveway instead of hosing it off.
• Replace older appliances with high-efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40-50 percent less energy.
• Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.
• Set up a rain barrel to be ready to repurpose rain when it does fall. For information, see this Penn State Extension guide.

Drought conditions are considered after the DEP assesses information on public water supply levels and data on precipitation, surface water (stream and river) flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture.

Drought declarations aren’t based on one indicator alone, such as precipitation.