The entire state of Pennsylvania is now under a drought watch as of Friday afternoon, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The department issued the watch after a meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force.

A drought watch is the lowest and least severe of three possible types of drought declaration, with more severe ratings being drought warning, and drought emergency.

In a statement, the DEP said the watch was determined using four drought indicators: precipitation, surface water flow, groundwater level, and soil moisture.

“While the recent rainfall has been welcome, there are still persistent precipitation deficits statewide,” the DEP said in a release. “Persistent rain will be needed for more consistent meaningful improvement to groundwater levels.”

Westmoreland County and Allegheny County both have “green,” or normal, levels for all four indicators, according to a U.S. Geological Survey monitoring tool, but other parts of the state are experiencing more severe drought conditions.

The DEP advised residents and non-farm businesses to consider reducing their nonessential water use. It suggested that people avoid watering their lawns unless necessary and using a drive-through car wash that recycles water instead of washing cars with a hose.

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