Madison Urges Water Conservation As Morris County Drought Affects All Residents

MADISON, NJ - Despite recent rainfall, Morris County remains in a moderate drought, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has kept the state's water supply status at the Warning level — and Madison officials are urging residents to do their part to help.

The drought is affecting all 492,276 people in Morris County, according to federal drought tracking data. This year has shaped up to be the 31st driest on record over the past 132 years through April, running nearly 3 inches below normal precipitation for the year to date. April alone ranked as the 42nd driest on record, coming in more than an inch below normal.

"We encourage all residents to help conserve water by checking for leaking pipes or spigots and limiting lawn watering where possible," borough officials said. "On a hot-weather day, Madison's water utility can pump close to 3 million gallons of water — enough to fill more than five Madison Community Pools. Small actions across our community can make a big difference."

The drought is also taking a toll on Morris County's agricultural land. An estimated 2,851 acres of hay, 669 acres of corn, and 239 acres of soybeans in the county are affected by drought conditions, along with roughly 1,578 sheep and 468 cattle.

Residents can track current drought conditions for Morris County at drought.gov.

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