The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) has issued a drought watch in the state.
Officials say it’s a combination of snowfall stream flows that are lower, dropping ground water levels, and persistent precipitation deficits.
DEP is asking residents to reduce their nonessential water use by 5 to 10%, this includes running the dishwasher/washing machine less, having your mowing blades set to 2-3 inches so grass can shade the soil, set up a rain barrel to repurpose water, and much more. You can find the whole list of preemptive measures on DEP’s website.
There is also an increased fire risk in dryer conditions, last year 2700 acres burned in Pennsylvania but in 2023 8,500 acres have already burned. Residents are being warned about how sparks from a car, machine exhaust, or burning trash can ignite a fire.
DEP has put together a Drought Task Force to address the issue they will meet again on July 6 meetings dates are made available on the DEP website.
