State Declares Drought Watch, Precipitation 'Well Below Normal'

A drought watch has been issued for the entire state of New York.

State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said July 15 the state has been well below normal precipitation over the last nine months, even though most public water supplies are still generally normal.

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“We are encouraging residents throughout the state to conserve water whenever possible during the coming months,” he said.

A “watch,” according to information from the DEC, is the first of four levels of state drought advisories, with “warning,” “emergency” and “disaster” following in succession.

The drought watch is triggered by the State Drought Index, which reflects precipitation levels, reservoir and lake levels and stream flow and groundwater levels in nine designated drought regions throughout the state.

The DEC said stream flows and groundwater levels are well below normal in much of the state.

Drought information can be found here.

Here are some tips for homeowners to voluntarily reduce water usage from the DEC:

• Fix dripping and leaking faucets and toilets. A faucet leaking 30 drops per minute wastes 54 gallons a month.
• Raise your lawn mower cutting height. Longer grass needs less water.
• If your community allows watering, water lawns and gardens on alternate mornings instead of every day. Less frequent watering will develop grass with deeper roots, and early morning watering minimizes evaporation.
• When using automatic lawn watering systems, override the system in wet weather or use a rain gauge to control when and how much water to use. A fixed watering schedule wastes water. Irrigate only when needed.
• Sweep sidewalks and steps rather than hosing them. Eliminating a weekly 5-minute pavement hose-down could save between 625 and 2500 gallons of water per year depending on the flow rate.

Photo credit: NYS DEC Facebook page.