|
|
|
Drought Definitions
 he
Commonwealth uses five parameters to assess drought conditions.
These include streamflows (compared to the same time for the
period of record); precipitation (departure from normal, 30
year average precipitation); reservoir storage levels in a variety
of locations (especially three New York City reservoirs in upper
Delaware River Basin); groundwater elevations in a number of
counties (comparing to past month, past year and historic record);
and Palmer Drought Index, a measure of soil moisture computed
by the National Weather Service.
Phases of drought preparedness in Pennsylvania are:
 DROUGHT
WATCH: A period to alert government agencies, public water
suppliers, water users and the public regarding the onset of
conditions indicating the potential for future drought-related
problems. The focus during this stage is on increased monitoring,
awareness and preparation for response if conditions worsen.
A request for voluntary water conservation is made. The objective
of voluntary water conservation measures during a drought watch
is to reduce water uses by 5% in the affected areas. Because
of varying conditions, individual water suppliers or municipalities
may be asking for more stringent conservation actions.
DROUGHT WARNING: This phase prepares for
coordinated response to imminent drought conditions and potential
water supply shortages and initiates concerted voluntary conservation
measures to avoid or reduce shortages, relieve stressed sources,
develop new sources, and if possible forestall the need to impose
mandatory water use restrictions. The objective of voluntary water
conservation measures during a drought warning is to reduce overall
water uses by 10-15% in the affected areas. Because of varying
conditions, individual water suppliers or municipalities may be
asking for more stringent conservation actions.
DROUGHT EMERGENCY: This stage is a concentrated
management phase of operations to marshal all available resources
to respond to actual emergency conditions, to avoid depletion
of water sources, to assure at least minimum water supplies to
protect public health and safety, to support essential and high
priority water uses and to avoid unnecessary economic dislocations.
It is possible during this phase to impose mandatory restrictions
on nonessential water uses that are provided for in 4 PA Code
Chapter 119, if deemed necessary and if ordered by the governor
of Pennsylvania. The objective of water use restrictions (mandatory
or voluntary) and other conservation measures during this phase
is to reduce consumptive water use in the affected area by at
least 15 percent, and to reduce total use to the extent necessary
to preserve public water system supplies, to avoid or mitigate
local or area shortages, and to assure equitable sharing of limited
supplies.
LOCAL WATER RATIONING: Although not a drought
phase, local municipalities may, with the approval of the Pennsylvania
Emergency Management Council, implement local water rationing
to share a rapidly dwindling or severely depleted water supply
in designated water supply service areas. These individual water
rationing plans, authorized through provisions of 4 PA Code Chapter
120, will require specific limits on individual water consumption
to achieve significant reductions in use. Under both mandatory
restrictions imposed by the Commonwealth and local water rationing,
procedures are provided for granting of variances to consider
individual hardships and economic dislocations.
For more information on drought conditions, check
out the DEP website at: www.dep.state.pa.us
|
|
|
|
