(June 14, 2002) -- Gov. Mark Schweiker today lifted the drought emergency for six counties and restored 14 other counties to normal status.

Dauphin, Perry and Wayne counties have been upgraded to drought-watch status, which calls on residents to voluntarily conserve 5 percent of their daily water usage.

Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties have been upgraded to drought-warning status, which calls on residents to voluntarily conserve 10 percent to 15 percent of their daily water usage.

“Recent rains and water-conservation efforts have led to some improvement in water conditions in parts of the state,” Gov. Schweiker said. “While I am pleased to announce that I am lifting mandatory water restrictions for six counties, I must stress that the drought is not over and that 14 counties remain in a drought emergency.”

Fourteen counties -- Adams, Bedford, Berks, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Northampton, Schuylkill and York -- remain in drought-emergency status and should continue to follow mandatory water restrictions on non-essential water use.

Fourteen counties –- Bradford, Centre, Columbia, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union and Wyoming -- have been removed from drought warning and watch status and are returned to normal status.

The current drought period began last summer when a drought watch was declared for 23 counties on Aug. 8, 2001. On Aug. 24, the drought watch was expanded to include 45 counties. On Nov. 6, nine counties in South-central Pennsylvania were revised to a drought warning status, and seven more counties were included in the drought watch. On Dec. 3, an additional 22 counties were revised from drought-watch to drought-warning status.

A drought emergency, the third and most severe stage of the three drought declarations, imposes mandatory restrictions on non-essential water use and must be declared by the Governor. A drought warning, the second stage of drought, calls for a 10 percent voluntary reduction in water consumption. A drought watch, the first stage and least severe stage, calls for a voluntary 5 percent reduction of non-essential water use.

Drought can have devastating effects on plant health and growth. These effects can be compounded by manditory water restrictions. For information on drought impact on plants and methods to responsibly care for plants in times of drought visit the plant clinic page on drought.

Indoor home water consumption averages about 62 gallons per person per day, with the majority of water used for clothes washing, toilet flushing and showering, followed by faucet use and leaky fixtures. The average person uses daily about 19 gallons for flushing, 13 gallons for washing clothes, 13 gallons for showering and 9 gallons from the faucet and other uses.

Some effective ways of conserving water include:

· Replacing an old toilet with a new 1.6 gallon-per-flush model could save a typical household from 7,900 to 21,700 gallons of water per year;

· Placing a plastic jug of water or commercial “dam” in older toilet tanks to cut down on amount of water needed for each flush can save more than 1,000 gallons per year;

· Repairing dripping faucets and leaking toilets (flapper valves are usually the cause) can save more than 10 gallons of water per person per day. A faucet dripping at one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year;

· Washing clothes and dishes only when you have a full load. When replacing an older machine, consider high-efficiency models, which use an average of 30 percent less water and 40 percent to 50 percent less energy, saving about 9 gallons per washing machine cycle and 7.5 gallons per dishwasher cycle;

· Installing a water-efficient showerhead can save 1 to 7.5 gallons per minute. Taking a quick shower can save an average of 20 gallons of water;

· Turning off the water when brushing teeth or shaving can save more than 5 gallons per day.

For more information on drought conditions, visit the PA PowerPort at: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/subject/hotopics/drought/default.htm

Additional information can be obtained by calling Pennsylvania’s toll-free drought hotline at 1-888-457-6653. Questions also can be e-mailed to droughtinfo@state.pa.us .

A list of counties under a drought emergency, drought warning and drought watch follows. For information on normal precipitation and precipitation deficit by county, visit the PA PowerPort at www.state.pa.us, PA Keywords: “Normal Precipitation” and “Precipitation Deficit.”