With Lebanon County in drought watch, water authority encourages less usage

The City of Lebanon Authority is asking its customers to voluntarily reduce water usage by 5% to 10%.

CoLA encouraged the voluntary reduction by all customers – including daycares, school districts, and other educational institutions – after the Commonwealth Drought Task Force on Jan. 8 announced a drought watch for all of Lebanon County.

Authority executive director Tom Deitzler said a 5% to 10% reduction equates on average to about 6 to 13 gallons of water per day. The drought watch declaration is in response to continued dry and frozen conditions throughout the region and is viewed as an early warning, he said.

The Mount Gretna Authority has also requested voluntary water conservation, according to the state website.

A majority of counties in Pennsylvania – 40 out of 67 – are currently on drought watch status. According to the National Weather Service, despite the recent Winter Storm Fern, Lebanon County’s precipitation has been 26% to 50% below average over the past 30 days.

Recommended water conservation measures include shorter shower times, only running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads, and checking for household leaks, such as running toilets.

“The City of Lebanon Authority continues to do its part in achieving water conservation,” Deitzler said in a press release. “It is actively finding and repairing leaking water mains, flushing fire hydrants and sewer mains only when needed, and monitoring water supplies and storage on a daily basis.”

The state Department of Environmental Protection measures drought conditions based on four key factors: stream flow, groundwater levels, precipitation, and soil moisture. The next stage in the state’s alert system is a drought warning, at which time people would be asked to reduce water usage by 15%.

Currently, Fulton County – which is about 120 miles southwest of Lebanon – is the only county in Pennstlvania under a drought warning. Lancaster, Berks, and Schuykill counties are also under a drought watch, while Dauphin County remains normal.