Drought Watch in Effect for Bucks, Montgomery Counties

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought watch for Bucks and Montgomery County August 5.

“With the hot, dry summer, our statewide monitoring network indicates a need to take this first step, which is aimed at alerting the public and water suppliers that it makes sense to take some voluntary common sense steps to conserve,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said in a DEP press release. "We recommended this to Pennsylvania’s Drought Task Force, and the members agreed.”

According to the release, a drought watch declaration is the "first and least severe level of the state’s three drought classifications." The DEP's drought watch asks residents to voluntarily reduce non-essential water use by 5 percent. It also puts large water consumers on notice to begin planning for the possibility of reduced water supplies.

The watch is in effect for 40 counties, including both Bucks and Montgomery counties as well as Philadelphia and surrounding counties.

The DEP recommends individuals take the following measures conserve water, at any time or season:

• Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.
• Check for household leaks. A leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water each day.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Replace older appliances with high-efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40 to 50 percent less energy.
• Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.
• Keep water in the refrigerator to avoid running water from a faucet until it is cold.