Delaware County and most counties in the rest of eastern Pennsylvania are under a drought watch issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection, and voluntary conservation is encouraged. The statements were made by the state agency on Friday.

The watch is the first level. This would be followed by a drought warning and finally a drought emergency. As part of this monitoring, residents are invited to save 5 to 10% of their water consumption. It rises by 10 to 15% on alert, then becomes mandatory in the event of an emergency.

Individual public water systems can implement their own conservation measures, the DEP said. This is already happening in some places.

Criteria for declaring these drought phases include precipitation, groundwater levels, stream flow and soil moisture.

In a press release, quotes from officials:

“Pennsylvania received very little rain in September and October, capping a dry six months, particularly in the southeastern part of the state. The DEP makes drought declarations based on long-term trends; a week of rain may not lift a region’s drought status,” said Acting DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “We want residents to be aware of these conditions and mindful of their water consumption. »

“Much of the Commonwealth is at high risk of fire due to dry conditions, and it is critical that Pennsylvanians exercise extreme caution when handling or avoiding fire while these conditions persist,” said the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). ) said secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “Stay up to date with the latest information using DCNR’s wildfire risk forecast map and be sure to follow all local guidelines regarding burn bans to do your part to protect our natural resources and communities fires.”

“Water is essential for growing food. Voluntary restrictions do not apply to farms and other businesses that rely on them to produce food,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “Risk and volatility in agriculture are more weather-related than in any other activity. Pennsylvania’s beneficial natural average precipitation has been upended by weather extremes and unpredictability in recent years and 2024 is no exception. Nearly 40 percent of the state’s topsoil has lacked or very little moisture over the past week, and several counties are eligible for federal aid for previous drought or flooding.

“It is critical that farmers track their losses and take advantage of federal crop insurance to help them recover their losses. State conservation funds and business planning grants help protect their soils, diversify their operations and guard against future weather extremes. Planning can’t change the weather, but it can help agricultural businesses manage the risks that come with it.

Saturday was the 36th consecutive day at Philadelphia International Airport that no measurable precipitation was recorded, and included an unprecedented total of zero for October, the first time in a month during a record period dating back to 1871 saw a zero. It’s been over 1,800 months.

The forecast calls for a low chance of rain Wednesday night and Thursday in Delaware County, with no further chance during the coming week.

Since Aug. 20, only 0.77 inches have been recorded at the airport.

Until then, 2024 was about normal in terms of precipitation, but the tap was turned off. Most of the extreme drought is within a 70-mile radius of Philadelphia.

Georgetown was the driest at 0.29 inches since Sept. 1, with Wilmington not much better at 0.33. However, these two Delaware locations experienced significant precipitation in late August that Delaware County and the airport did not have.

Berks and Schuylkill counties are on drought alert. Berks has received 1.11 inches of precipitation at Reading Regional Airport since Aug. 20, more than Philadelphia International Airport, but other factors come into play besides precipitation.