Fayette EMA responds to drought watch
Fayette County is one of the 67 Pennsylvania counties under a drought watch issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The Fayette County Emergency Management Agency is calling upon residents and businesses to voluntarily reduce water use by 5 percent.
Despite recent rainfall, precipitation levels over the last two months are below normal, not only in Fayette County but also in every corner of the state.
Fayette County shows a departure of -3 inches of the normal precipitation level, putting it between 26 and 50 percent of what is normal for this time of year.
Statewide, two-thirds of the counties are 50 percent or more below their normal precipitation levels and the remaining are reporting a deficit of at least 25 percent.
DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said, “Although conservation is a year-round responsibility, now is the time for residents to manage water resources even more carefully to avoid serious problems if precipitation levels do not return to normal in the coming weeks.”
A drought watch is the lowest of three levels of drought status and brings with it a request for a 5 percent reduction in water use by residents. The next stage, a drought warning, calls for voluntary water use reduction of 10 percent to 15 percent. A drought emergency, the final stage, includes mandatory water use reductions of at least 15 percent.
Pennsylvania’s last declared drought emergency was in 2002.
All 67 Pennsylvania counties have been in normal status since seven counties on the western edge of Pennsylvania were upgraded from a drought watch to normal on June 18, 2003.
With the upgrade, it was the first time since Aug. 8, 2001, that the entire state was normal.
The Fayette County Emergency Management Agency and the DEP suggest the following water conservations measures.
Indoor water conservation:
– Using washing machines and dishwashers only when loads are full.
– Not running water continuously while shaving, brushing teeth or washing dishes by hand.
– Refrigerating tap water to avoid running water for cold water.
– Taking shorter showers. Repairing leaking and dripping faucets and leaking toilets.
Outdoor water-conservation tips include:
– Holding back from watering lawns, unless newly seeded (grass often goes dormant; it does not die during dry conditions).
– Limiting vehicle washing.
– Sweeping sidewalks and driveways, rather than washing them.
Roy Shipley, director of Fayette County Emergency Management Agency, also advises residents to exercise extreme caution in burning brush and debris.
“Each year, our county fire departments are busy with wild fries, and this year is no exception. Not only does it take a great deal of manpower and time to extinguish one of these rapidly spreading fires but it takes a great deal of water,” he said
Shipley suggests that all residents participate in the recommended water reductions and remain diligent in actions that might result in the usage of large quantities of water.
The Fayette County Emergency Management Agency will continue to monitor the drought conditions in the county and throughout the state.