State Issues Drought Warning, Asks People to Cut Water Usage
Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties on alert
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
18 September 2010
By Jonathan D. Silver
Last year it was too wet for Pennsylvania agriculture, this year it's
too dry.
"It's another negative impact on our farmers," Mark O'Neill, spokesman
for the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, said of 2010's waterless weather.
Now the lack of rainfall is having a negative impact on city slickers,
who are being asked along with their country cousins to preserve water
because of the severe conditions throughout the commonwealth.
The state Department of Environmental Protection issued a drought
warning Thursday -- the second level of a three-tiered system -- for 24
counties.
Included are Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene and Washington counties.
Residents are asked to cut water usage voluntarily by 10 to 15 percent.
The state's 43 other counties are under a drought watch, the
lowest-tiered warning.
Drought watches and warnings are becoming something of a cyclical event
in Pennsylvania, with the last alerts in the area coming in November
2008. This year's dry conditions have to do with the weather phenomenon
called La Niña, said National Weather Service meteorologist Lee
Hendricks.
He didn't want to get into the complicated specifics, but suffice it to
say there has been an abnormally strong high-pressure system in the
eastern U.S. this summer.
"Quite simply, that's prevented a lot of systems from bringing any
significant rainfall to our benefit," Mr. Hendricks said.
Even Thursday night's storms did not help to alleviate the parched
state of affairs. Rainfall in southwestern Pennsylvania ranged from
one-tenth of an inch to 2 1/2 inches.
"When you get that much rainfall in that relatively short a period of
time, most of it becomes runoff, and it doesn't really do a whole lot
of good for you especially with how hard-packed the ground is," Mr.
Hendricks said.
The drought warning should surprise no one, will affect everyone, but
might aid only some.
"If you talk to a farmer, in general he'll always say it's that fine
balance between good sunshine and timely rain that helps grow the
crops, so that announcement doesn't necessarily help at all," Mr.
O'Neill said.
Recommendations for conserving water include installing low-flow
plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets, checking for household
leaks, taking showers instead of baths and running dishwashers and
washing machines only with full loads.
Whether a voluntary reduction in water usage works varies.
Pennsylvania-American Water Co. typically sees a drop in usage when
drought advisories are issued, but not as much as the state requests,
utility spokeswoman Josephine Posti said.
But the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority does not experience a
noticeable decrease, according to Stanley States, director of water
quality and production.
The reason: location, location, location. People who live in a city
bound by three rivers have a hard time responding to talk of a drought.
"Pittsburgh itself, compared to the rest of Pennsylvania, is in an
excellent position when it comes to water," Mr. States said.
Jonathan D. Silver: jsilver@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1962.