Drought Watch Lifted for 16 Pennsylvania Counties, Remains for 20 Counties

RainImage by Mylene

PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) lifted the drought watch for 16 counties Monday, after a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force.

The watch remains in effect for 20 other counties, where residents are asked to continue their voluntary water conservation. Despite recent rainfall that has helped to ease the demand for water, groundwater levels remain lower than normal ranges in some areas. DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh asks Pennsylvanians in these counties to use water wisely and follow simple water conservation tips.

The following counties remain on drought watch: Cameron, Carbon, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Dauphin, Juniata, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, and Union counties.

Drought watch map

Drought watch has been lifted for Berks, Bradford, Bucks, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lehigh, McKean, Monroe, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne, and Wyoming counties.

For a map of drought declarations that’s updated daily, see the DEP drought web page.

Residents on drought watch are asked to reduce their individual water use by 5% to 10%, or a reduction of three to six gallons of water per day.

Varying localized conditions may lead water suppliers or municipalities to ask residents for more stringent conservation actions. See the list of public water suppliers that have requested or mandated water conservation in their communities.

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