Some Virginians are now being asked to conserve water, as dry conditions continue impacting parts of D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
It follows the recent announcement that some residents in Maryland, including in northern Montgomery County, were being encouraged to cut back on water use by taking shorter showers and putting limits on watering lawns.
According to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor, the District and most of Northern Virginia continues to experience “moderate drought” conditions.
Parts of Maryland — including areas in Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard and Anne Arundel counties — are listed as having “severe drought” conditions.
Counties in Northern Virginia may have been on that list, too — however, recent heavy storms moved through and made a big difference.
“We were looking at perhaps placing the Northern Virginia localities in a drought watch advisory, but the rains came in and negated that,” said Weedon Cloe, a water supply manager with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
According to Cloe, the only parts of Virginia currently being encouraged to limit water use are in the Eastern Shore and Shenandoah areas of the state.
“We would ask that they regulate water use a little bit and minimize it as much as possible,” Cloe said.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, this has been the second-driest year to date, and it was the fifth-driest May on record this year.
“Water conservation is a good practice year-round,” said Jay Apperson, spokesperson for the Maryland Department of the Environment. “Right now, the Maryland Department of the Environment is urging citizens and businesses in Western Maryland and portions of central Maryland to voluntarily reduce their water usage.”
People who live in the District are not being asked to conserve water, according to John Lisle, a spokesman for D.C. Water.
“The region is experiencing moderate drought conditions and DC Water is closely monitoring the situation,” Lisle said in a statement to WTOP. “There are no immediate concerns about our water supply and no mandatory or voluntary limits on water usage at this time for our customers in the District of Columbia.”
