The Washington area is on drought watch, a group of regional officials said Wednesday, and utilities are recommending cutbacks on water use.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, abbreviated as COG, said dry conditions are expected to continue even though rain has fallen recently and that the drought watch applies to an area containing 6 million residents.
The jurisdictions under COG’s drought watch include:
• The District of Columbia.
• Charles, Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland.
• Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties in Virginia.
• Bladensburg, Bowie, College Park, the city of Frederick, Gaithersburg, Greenbelt, Hyattsville, Laurel, Rockville and Takoma Park in Maryland.
• Alexandria, the city of Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park in Virginia.
Between March and April, the region had record-breaking heat and stretches of historically low streamflow. COG said that while the Potomac River and backup reservoirs have an “adequate” amount of water, the river reached its lowest level in at least 130 years during this stretch.
Rain in the last half of May “provided short-term improvements in streamflow and soil moisture” but did not alleviate the drought, COG said in a June report.
“The Potomac River is our only source of water, and if severe drought conditions threaten that source, we have no other alternatives today,” DC Water CEO David Gadis said in a release about the COG-issued drought watch.
Regional utilities DC Water and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC Water) echoed COG’s call for residents in the affected areas to practice “wise water use.”
“While our water supply remains stable, now is a great time for all of us to practice wise water use. By making simple, voluntary changes in daily routines, our customers can save water and money,” WSSC Water CEO Kishia Powell said in the COG release Wednesday.
COG’s water use recommendations include limiting showers to five minutes; monitoring how gardens, outdoor plants and lawns are watered; turning off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth; and using dishwashers or washing machines with only full loads.
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