BRYN MAWR, Pa., Feb. 28, 2002 -- In an effort to conserve local water supplies, Philadelphia Suburban Water Company (PSW) is asking customers to comply with the drought emergency declaration issued by Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker.
Under the drought emergency, mandatory water restrictions are in place throughout PSW's service territory in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties.
"Stream flows and groundwater levels are low because of a rainfall deficit of more than 12 inches since last July. We are missing about 40 percent of the precipitation that would normally fall over this period," said PSW Vice President of Water Resources Preston Luitweiler. "In times like this, we appreciate the value of reservoir storage and interconnected water distribution systems for maintaining reliable water supplies to meet essential needs. PSW's reservoir storage is adequate for now, with more than six billion gallons of water in reserve. However, supplies in some local areas are low, and conditions could become much more serious if we do not receive substantial amounts of rain over the next two months."
In some areas where supplies are low, PSW has been able to make operational changes to bring in water from other parts of the system, but this is not the case everywhere.
Limits on water use apply to public water customers and to people on private wells. The Chester and Montgomery County Health Departments have seen dramatic increases in permit applications for replacement wells. PSW has also received many requests for water service from residents with shallow wells throughout its service area.
In some areas, PSW's Main Source program has helped people replace problem wells with public water service.
For more information on water restrictions under the drought emergency, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Web site at www.dep.state.pa.us or call DEP's Water Supply Program at 610/832-6060.
