Armstrong, Butler counties added to drought watch
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The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection expanded its drought watch Wednesday from 13 to 29 counties, including Armstrong and Butler counties.
Two counties, Clinton and McKean, were moved to the more severe classification of a drought warning, joining Potter County.
The agency is asking residents in those counties with drought warnings to voluntarily reduce water consumption by 5% to 10%, or a reduction of three to six gallons of water a day.
“It’s going to take a lot of precipitation to get us out of these deficits over time,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “We are asking residents in these counties to use water wisely and follow simple water conservation tips to ease the demand for water.”
Dry weather has been persistent in the region through much of September, said Jared Rackley, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township.
“We’ve had long stretches of dry weather and a few days here and there with rainfall.”
On the bright side, because of the lack of rain, the region has been buoyed by more sunny, clear days than usual for September and the end of the summer, he added.
For the month of September, rainfall in Southwestern Pennsylvania has been down by more than 2 inches. Normal rainfall for the month is 3.02 inches and so far the region has received less than an inch, he said.
Making matters worse, at least as far as water absorption goes, is that in August and September, heavy rains in just a few days accounted for most of the rainfall in those two months.
“When big rain events hit when it’s dry, the water tends to run off. But with big rains more spread out, more water can soak into the soil,” Rackley said.
Dry conditions will continue until at least Sunday with a slight chance of showers tonight, he said.
The 29 counties on drought watch include : Armstrong, Blair, Bradford, Butler, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Cumberland, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union, Warren and Wyoming.
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.