A day after meeting with water suppliers statewide, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has enacted a statewide drought warning, a downgrade in water supply status that reflects a record lack of rainfall across the region.
The move was announced Wednesday afternoon in a joint statement from Governor Phil Murphy and NJDEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette.
Drought Warning status “enables the DEP to more closely manage water systems by directing water transfers among systems, controlling releases from reservoirs, and modifying the rate of flow in streams and rivers in order to balance ecological protection and needs of water suppliers,” the announcement read.
The determination was made is based upon “a lack of precipitation, rapidly declining storage in the combined capacity of major surface water supply reservoirs, and/or severely depleted groundwater levels and stream flows,” according to the statement.
For context, New Jersey last entered drought watch only two years ago, while the most recent drought warning was in 2016-17, and the last drought emergency was in 2001-02.
Drought watches and warnings are issued based on distinct circumstances each time, and are not comparable on a one-to-one basis, New Jersey State Geologist Steve Domber said in a press briefing last month.
“They vary in frequency, with the watches and warnings being more frequent than emergencies,” Domber said.
Nationally, much of the country currently is experiencing abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. drought monitor. NJDEP reported that groundwater in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem Counties is “severely dry, while precipitation and stream flows are extremely dry.”
“Major reservoir systems are below their normal water levels for this time of year, and may need transfers of water through interconnected infrastructure to balance storage,” the NJDEP announcement read.
The New Jersey American Water (NJAW) – Western Division, which serves some 260,000 people in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem Counties — including residents of Audubon and Audubon Park, Barrington, parts of Camden City and Cherry Hill, Haddonfield, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Oaklyn, and Pennsauken — also issued a mandatory conservation notice to customers Wednesday.
“The company does not anticipate a major threat to its water supply, and is leveraging redundancies to shift between water sources to provide uninterrupted water service at this time,” the statement read.
(For a look into how NJAW processes work, check out our tour of the Delran water treatment plant.)
Mandatory conservation is intended “to avert a more serious water shortage,” the company wrote.
Guidance for outdoor activities includes not watering lawns and gardens; winterizing sprinkler systems and spigots; not using hoses or pressure washers; and patronizing commercial car washes instead of washing vehicles at home.
In the home, people are encouraged not to run faucets while washing dishes, shaving, or brushing teeth; running dishwashers and washing machines only when they’re full; and shortening up showers.
The company also recommended that property owners seek out leaks using its Leak Detection Kit, insulate exposed pipes, and switch to water- and energy-efficient appliances.
The same environmental conditions that have contributed to the statewide drought have also contributed to one of the most intense wildfire seasons on record, with some 1,300 wildfires burning more than 11,000 acres. Since 2000, New Jersey has averaged 1,071 wildfires and 4,000 acres burned, NJDEP noted.
In addition to the drought warning, New Jersey remains under Stage Three fire restrictions, which prohibit any kind of wood and charcoal fires as well as kerosene and gas torches.
