State declares drought watch for Armstrong and Butler counties, asks for 5% cut in water usage

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought watch Friday for 16 counties, among them Armstrong and Butler.

The agency is asking residents in those counties to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 5%.

Varying drought conditions in impacted communities could cause water suppliers or municipalities to request more cuts to water consumption.

The hot and dry weather along with reports of lower water levels in reservoirs and streams triggered the Commonwealth Drought Task Force to declare the drought watch Friday, said Deborah Klenotic, DEP’s deputy communications director.

The task force based the drought watch designation on a combination of factors including stream flow, groundwater level, soil moisture and amount of rain, she said.

Indeed, Western Pennsylvania has been parched for three months.

The National Weather Service declared much of the western portion of the state to be in moderate drought on Aug. 18, said Jason Frazier, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon Township.

“This is not an instantaneous event,” he said.

“This is several months of below normal rainfall.” In August, so far, the region is 6/10-of-an-inch below normal, he said.

Some rain is forecast for Saturday through Monday. However, it will result in mostly scattered showers insufficient enough to break the drought, Frazier said.

There are two tropical systems in the Gulf of Mexico that could bring some rain — or not, he said.

The moderate drought has caused some crop damage to pastures and lowered water levels in reservoirs and streams, he said.

If the drought persists for another month, then the region would see deterioration of crops and vegetation, he said.

The Commonwealth Drought Task Force will meet in a few weeks to update the drought watch status in the state, Klenotic said.

The other counties under DEP’s drought watch include Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Fayette, Huntingdon, Indiana, Juniata, McKean, Mifflin, Perry, and Potter.

DEP’s tips to reduce water usage:

• Run water only when necessary.

• Don’t let the faucet run while brushing your teeth or shaving.

• Use a bucket to catch water and then reuse it to water your plants.

• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only with full loads.

• When watering your garden, be efficient and effective: Water in the evening or morning, and direct the water to the ground at the base of the plant, so you don’t waste water through evaporation.

• Check for household leaks.

• Replace older appliances with high-efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30% less water and 40-50% less energy.

• Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.