Five Northern Virginia counties are under a drought watch advisory as officials express concern about water levels across the Commonwealth.
Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality issued a drought watch advisory for Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington and Fairfax counties on Wednesday.
Virginians are encouraged to conserve water, keep track of drought conditions and look for any leaks to repair.
Groundwater levels are below the 10th percentile in the Northern Virginia area — which means they reached emergency levels.
Stream flows, precipitation as well as groundwater and reservoir levels are factored into the warning about increased drought risk.
Precipitation levels are considered normal, but abnormal rain levels the past two weeks and little rain in the forecast were factored into the advisory. Meanwhile, stream flows are also considered normal, but still remain below the 25th percentile.
Water supplies at Occoquan Reservoir and Lake Manassas are at normal levels, according to the department.
The advisory is more severe in seven other counties across Virginia, mainly those in the Shenandoah region of the state. They’re under a drought warning advisory, meaning a drought is imminent.
