Philadelphia Water Department Highlights Water Conservation Measures Following Drought Watch

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection calls for reduced water use in Philadelphia, 35 counties.

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Water Department supports the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) call for reduced water use by residents in Philadelphia and 35 additional counties. The call for voluntary cuts in water use follows PADEP’s November 1, 2024 declaration of a Drought Watch in 33 counties, including Philadelphia County.

The PADEP designation asks residents in all Drought Watch counties to reduce individual water use by three to six gallons daily. Running a kitchen faucet for three to seven minutes uses roughly three to six gallons. See below for tips on reducing water use.

“Water is the most valuable resource, and it’s a shared resource. More than 13 million people cherish the Delaware River as a provider of clean drinking water,” Philadelphia Water Department Commissioner Randy E. Hayman said. “Doing what we can to reduce household water use even a small amount will help Philadelphians and our neighbors weather these conditions.”

While upstream reservoirs remain at capacities sufficient to maintain appropriate Delaware and Schuylkill River streamflow conditions, conservation now may help avoid more serious shortages should drought conditions persist.

Tips for Conserving Water:

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a standard showerhead uses about 2.5 gallons per minute, so just timing yourself and taking a shorter shower can help during a drought watch.

Run water only when you use it. Turn off the faucet between rinses while you brush your teeth or wash dishes.
Use water-saving appliances like low-flow showerheads, faucets, and toilets.
Fix leaky faucets and running toilets. Recently upgraded water meters will send a leak alert to the email linked to your water account. If we haven’t scheduled a meter upgrade in your area yet, use these instructions to check for leaks: water.phila.gov/drops/leaks
When using a dishwasher or laundry machine, save water and energy by always running a full load.
Instead of dumping unconsumed water down the drain, water your houseplants with last night’s water glass or Rover’s leftover water bowl.

Most Pennsylvania counties affected by the Drought Watch obtain all or portions of their drinking water from groundwater sources.

The Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers are Philadelphia’s drinking water sources and are surface water supplies. For the drought situation to improve, several periods of slow, steady, soaking rain are necessary to replenish underground water tables.

More drought information can be found online at www.dep.pa.gov/drought

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