The D.C. area’s historic rain-free streak continues after a predicted chance of precipitation this morning (Thursday) failed to materialize.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announced today that it has extended a drought watch that has been in place since July, urging nearly 6 million residents and businesses in the region to take voluntary steps to conserve water.
The decision to extend the watch was made at the recommendation of a Drought Coordination Technical Committee that met last week and shared with local city and county managers yesterday (Wednesday), the nonprofit association said.
“Officials emphasized there is currently an adequate supply of water in the Potomac River and back-up reservoirs,” COG said in a news release. “They ask residents to implement voluntary water conservation practices across the region to reduce water demand and meet environmental needs of the river.”
Fairfax Water, the public utility that provides drinking water to Fairfax County and other localities in Northern Virginia, draws its supply from the Occoquan Reservoir as well as the Potomac River.
After today, the D.C. region will have gone 36 days without measurable rain, breaking a record of 34 days set in 2007, the Washington Post’s Capital Weather Gang reported. It’s now the longest dry streak since weather records for D.C. began in 1872, though it was preceded by 11 straight days of rain in late September through early October.
The Potomac River’s water levels have dropped significantly, and essentially the entire basin is seeing some level of drought with precipitation nearly 3 inches below normal over the past 30 days, according to COG.
COG declared a regional drought watch on July 29 for the first time since 2010, when the watch lasted less than a month. If conditions worsen to the point where the region’s water supply might be unable to meet demand, a drought warning could be declared, triggering additional, potentially mandatory water restrictions — an unprecedented step for COG.
Fairfax County and the rest of Northern Virginia was placed under a drought warning advisory by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in June. The advisory signaled that a significant drought was imminent amid a heat wave during what turned out to be a record-hot summer.
DEQ lifted the drought warning in August after parts of the state were hit by remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, but it issued a drought watch advisory for Northern Virginia in September. The department’s Drought Monitoring Task Force is expected to keep the advisory in place after meeting yesterday.
“The Drought Monitoring Task Force is recommending that the Northern Virginia Drought Evaluation Region remain in a drought watch advisory,” a DEQ spokesperson told FFXnow. “However, this recommendation is still unofficial. We anticipate an official announcement by tomorrow morning.”
(Update: DEQ announced Friday, Nov. 8 that its drought watch advisory has expanded to eastern Virginia, now covering a total of 38 counties, including Fairfax County and the rest of Northern Virginia.)
The region’s dry conditions have raised the risk of wildfires, prompting a ban on open-air burning across much of the Potomac River Basin. More from COG on the danger of wildfires and ways to conserve water:
Fire safety and protection are concerns due to dry conditions. The region is in the fall fire season, with an increased risk for wildfires. The majority of the Potomac River basin is under a ban on open air burning—the State of Maryland, West Virginia, and Delaware have implemented statewide burn bans, with some Virginia and Pennsylvania counties implementing similar restrictions. Committee members encourage residents to use extra caution when smoking outside, using outdoor grills, or engaging in other activities that involve flammable materials. Check current fire weather conditions provided by the National Weather Service.
Wise Water Use Tips
Here are simple tips residents can use to limit outdoor and indoor water use:
- Monitor watering lawns, plants and shrubs;
- Sweep sidewalks and driveways (instead of using a hose);
- Avoid washing your car, or instead use a commercial car wash that recycles water;
- Fix any plumbing leaks – especially toilets and faucets;
- Reduce shower length to under 5 minutes;
- Turn off water while brushing your teeth; and
- Wash full loads of dishes and clothes.
A detailed list of tips for wise water use can be found at mwcog.org/wisewater.
