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topicnews · October 25, 2024

Delaware is officially under a drought watch as the drought continues

Delaware is officially under a drought watch as the drought continues

Gov. John Carney issues a statewide drought warning as the state continues to experience record-breaking drought conditions.

The statement said residents across the state are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water, but that point is still a long way off.

The state recommends limiting watering of lawns and plants. When you water lawns and plants, do so with non-potable water.

New Jersey also recently declared a drought warning.

“Across Delaware, unusually low rainfall and soil moisture levels indicate the need for statewide drought monitoring. Although the major water reservoirs in northern New Castle County remain within normal limits, the low flows in this area are of increased concern as these are the streams needed to replenish the reservoirs,” the statement said.

While drought conditions worsen, reservoirs built after the 2002 drought remain stable. Brandywine Creek supplies water to Wilmington and is still at normal levels. According to Gerald Kauffman, director of the Delaware Water Resources Center at UD, removing water from Hoopes Reservoir is still a long way off.

More than three weeks have passed without measurable rain in Wilmington, and no rain is forecast.

In response to the drought, Newark drew water from its reservoir on Paper Mill Road because White Clay Creek was too low to draw the normal amount of water. There are also groundwater wells south of Newark that are working well.

The reservoir holds 317 million gallons of water, is 56 feet deep and is fed by water from White Clay Creek. However, the water level in the reservoir has dropped to the point where the “bathtub line” is visible.

Newark Mayor Jerry Clifton said he doesn’t expect any water savings at this time but is encouraging residents to conserve water.

The company Artesian Water, which supplies much of the county’s water, said in a statement that it does not expect any impact to our customers.

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