Lancaster County and 32 other Pennsylvania counties are now under a drought warning, and two others are under a drought watch, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday.
“While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing nonessential water use,” DEP said in a statement. “Public water suppliers may request water conservation measures to ensure reliable delivery of drinking water.”
Residents also should be extremely cautious about open fires, due to the dry conditions, and if possible should avoid outdoor burning altogether. York and Lebanon county officials have declared countywide burn bans.
The DEP’s declaration comes in the wake of minimal rainfall in September and October. It encompasses four of the five counties around Lancaster: Chester, Dauphin, Lebanon and York. The fifth, Berks County, is under a drought warning, a higher level of concern, as is Berks County’s neighbor to the north, Schuylkill County.
Overall, the past six months have been drier than usual, especially in southeast Pennsylvania, DEP said.
DEP’s Drought Task Force is monitoring the situation, in the 35 counties under the warning and statewide, the agency said.
Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding advised farmers to keep track of any drought-related losses and take advantage of federal crop insurance.
“Nearly 40% of the topsoil across the state is either short or very short in moisture content in the past week, and several counties are eligible for federal relief for earlier drought conditions or flooding,” he said.
(Editor’s Note: This story was updated Monday, Nov. 4, to correct the headline.)
