City's Water Supply Sufficient Despite Area Drought Alert in Effect
ROCKVILLE, Md., October 4, 2007 — Despite an area drought watch that went into effect yesterday, the City's water supply appears to be in good shape although City officials urge residents and businesses to exercise continual restraints on water usage that are in line with practices used throughout the region.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) issued a drought alert in response to the unusually dry conditions that have persisted in the region over the last few months. The watch is the second level of COG's four-stage regional drought response plan used to monitor water levels and respond to drought conditions throughout the year.
Barring extreme changes to water levels, the City's supply to its residents doesn't appear to be threatened.
"Since Rockville uses the Potomac River as our water source, our supply at this point is adequate despite the dry conditions," said Craig Simoneau, the City's Director of Public Works. "We are still asking residents to practice water conservation measures to help the overall Potomac system and ensure our supply continues to be adequate in case low precipitation levels continue over the next several months."
In response to the water drought watch, the City encourages residents and businesses to follow some useful tips that COG recommends to help conserve water:
Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time
Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you and not the drain
Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap
Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk and save 80 gallons of water every time
Divide your watering cycle into shorters periods to reduce runoff and allow for better absorption every time you water
Take shorter showers
For a complete list of water use tips, go to www.wisewateruse.com .
###
