Drought Warnings In PA - We need to conserve water Philadelphia, Allegheny, Lehigh, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Bucks, Montgomery and Washington.

24 counties on state’s drought warning list


Source Of this Post- http://www.tnonline.com/node/134746

"24 counties on state’s drought warning list

Pennsylvania environmental officials have put 24 counties including Carbon, Schuylkill, Northampton and Monroe under a drought warning and the rest of the state under a drought watch. Meager rainfall and high temperatures prompted the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue the warnings Thursday. DEP Secretary John Hanger says a hot, dry summer has led to steadily declining ground and surface water levels.

A drought warning asks residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 10-15 percent.
DEP said rainfall deficits over the past 90 days are currently as great as 5.6 inches below normal in Somerset County and 5.5 inches in Bucks County.  Other counties under a drought warning include Philadelphia, Allegheny, Lehigh, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Bucks, Montgomery and Washington.

A drought watch is the lowest of three advisory levels and a drought warning is the second-most severe condition. No counties in the state are under a drought emergency.
DEP is sending letters to all water suppliers statewide, notifying them of the need to monitor their supplies and update their drought contingency plans as necessary. It monitors a statewide network of groundwater wells and stream gauges that provide comprehensive data to the state drought coordinator.

DEP offers the following tips for conserving water around the home:

Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets
Check for household leaks a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day
Take short showers instead of baths. Kitchen/laundry areas
Replace older appliances with high efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40-50 percent less energy
Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads
Keep water in the refrigerator to avoid running water from a faucet until it is cold.
The department also offers water conservation recommendations for commercial and industrial users, such as food processors, hotels and motels, schools and colleges, as well as water audit procedures for large water customers. Water conservation tips and drought information can be found online at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: drought.

Metering Private Wells to Control Drought ???

WHAT GOOD DOES IT DO TO KNOW HOW MUCH WATER IS USED WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WATER YOU HAVE?

http://www.tnonline.com/node/115528
Nesquehoning needs to meter all wells

Reported on Tuesday, July 13, 2010

By CAROL ZICKLER TN Correspondent tneditor@tnonline.com

Nesquehoning resident Tom Merman has not given up on his quest to find out about metering the wells in the community.

At Monday night's meeting of the Nesquehoning Borough Water Authority, Merman did not get a chance to ask the big question once again. The authority's solicitor Robert Yurchak spoke up first notifying Merman and the board that there is an ordinance requiring metering of all water wells in the borough. "But it's up to the borough council to enforce the law," said Atty. Yurchak.

Merman replied, "They should not be controlling the water authority, you should be controlling them." He wants "all" the wells metered so that the water authority will then know how much water is being used. He said especially during the drought season when others are restricted on water usage.
Frank Parano said there is a meeting of the Carbon County Drought Task Force this Wednesday. Parano serves on the board. He asked Merman if he wants the water authority to be the watch dogs.
Board president David Hawk reminded Merman that Nesquehoning does have ordinances in town. Merman said he is looking for protection for everyone.
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1. Comments

a. Private wells should not be metered in this fashion.

b. The local agency does not have the authority to allocate or control private water use - only the river basin commission can allocate water and they do not allocate private water use.

c. This metering concern was the reason the PA State Law related to private well construction standards failed.

d. I do not believe the authority has the right to enforce this type of use.

e. The Authority indirectly controls private water usage through other ordiances, i.e. subdivision and land development.

f. The answer is not meters - but education and awareness, water conservation etc.