A Drought Watch has been issued across the Washington metropolitan region, including Montgomery County, following unusually dry conditions that officials say are expected to continue despite recent rainfall.
The Drought Coordination Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) announced the advisory on Wednesday, affecting nearly six million residents across the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia.
Officials emphasized that the region currently has an adequate water supply, with sufficient water available in the Potomac River and backup reservoirs. However, residents and businesses are being encouraged to voluntarily reduce water usage to help protect water resources if dry conditions persist throughout the summer.
The region experienced record-breaking high temperatures between March and April, along with periods of historically low streamflow. During that stretch, the Potomac River reached its lowest level for that time of year in 130 years of recordkeeping. Officials also noted that the region is currently facing a two-year precipitation deficit of nearly eight inches.
“Our region hasn’t seen extremely dry conditions like this in about two decades when local leaders and COG first established a drought response plan to support coordination and communication regionwide,” said COG Executive Director Clark Mercer. “During the Drought Watch, we’re asking the public to help by incorporating simple, water-saving actions into their daily routines.”
The Drought Watch is the first stage of the region’s drought response plan and serves as an early advisory. It comes before a Drought Warning, when water restrictions could be encouraged. Mandatory restrictions would only be considered during the highest Emergency stage. Since the regional drought plan was adopted in 2000, the Washington area has never advanced to the Drought Warning stage.
Officials from WSSC Water, Fairfax Water, the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, and the Washington Aqueduct all stressed that the region’s water infrastructure remains prepared to meet current demand but said voluntary conservation efforts can help preserve water supplies if dry conditions continue.
Residents are encouraged to take simple water-saving measures, including shortening showers to less than five minutes, turning off water while brushing teeth, running only full loads of laundry and dishes, fixing leaks, limiting lawn watering, sweeping driveways instead of hosing them down, and avoiding washing vehicles at home.
The Potomac River supplies approximately 78 percent of the region’s drinking water. The Drought Watch applies to Montgomery County, the City of Rockville, the City of Gaithersburg, Prince George’s County, Frederick County, Charles County, the District of Columbia, and numerous jurisdictions across Northern Virginia.
