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Gov. Ruth Ann Minner has issued a statewide drought watch urging residents to voluntarily conserve water.
The Saturday, Oct. 20 executive order follows a drought disaster relief request that the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture granted in September, making emergency funding available to drought-stricken farmers.
In October, biologists predicted migratory birds might bypass the state because of dry conditions. Scientists also reported a viral deer epidemic killing as many as 100 deer brought on by dry conditions.
Over the past five months, Sussex County has been the hardest hit of the state’s three counties. A rainfall deficit of more than 10 inches was recorded in Georgetown, according to the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council. The council includes representatives from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), Division of Public Health and utility representatives from all three counties, among other agencies.
In Southern Delaware, many municipal leaders and utility supervisors said current water supplies are adequate, although they are continuing to monitor sources. Unlike the northern part of the state, in Sussex County, most water comes from underground aquifers. Most Sussex County municipalities report no changes in water-table levels.
The governor’s office warns of a possible dry spring in 2008, if much-needed rain does not fall.
In response, Minner is urging Delawareans to voluntarily conserve residential water, which may save up to 40 percent of household water usage. She also warns against lawn and turf watering for residential and commercial properties.
The last drought occurred in 2002, officials said.
“I’m asking Delawareans to use wise water-conservation habits, not only during this dry period, but year-round.”
Stewart Lovell, a DNREC water supply manager, said perhaps the worst damage in Sussex County is over.
“The downstate impact, really, is that all the damage has been done to farming interests and the agricultural community. The majority of the farmers lost the majority of their crops. It really was a bad year - probably the worst ever,” he said. Lovell also said while municipalities are faring well with their municipal water supplies, homeowners with individual wells might not be.
“Downstate towns have deep supply wells. It’s extremely diffiDrought
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cult for any of those supply wells to get into trouble. But, homeowners with shallow wells are at risk.
“If you have a very shallow well, you are at risk,” he said.
He added that few domestic replacement wells have been dug.
“We have not issued any replacement wells for the towns and we’re not going to,” Lovell said.
Sussex officials prepared
Georgetown Public Works Director Bill Bradley said no change has been evident this year.
“We are holding great. The water tables are close to this time last year. We’re not experiencing a big problem,” said Bradley.
Some Sussex County leaders may issue their own localized restrictions.
Milton Public Works Director Allen Atkins said Milton’s water table is largely unchanged. But, he said he met with town officials last week and a local water conservation initiative might be introduced at a Milton council meeting in November.
“I think most of the problems are in the surface water areas up north, such as reservoirs. Everything in lower Delaware are wells and aquifers,” said Atkins. In Milton, two wells serve roughly 1,200 customers, he said, although the town also has two reserve wells.
“A lot of waste is in irrigating,” Atkins said.
In Rehoboth Beach, only minor water-pressure problems have been reported, said Milbourne Craig, public works director. In those cases, however, water pressure is not related to water supply, he said.
“Comparing last year’s well levels to the same time this year, we are not showing any difference,” said Barbara Cairns, a Rehoboth Beach water operator.
She said about 5,000 customers are served by Rehoboth’s water supply, including those outside city limits from North Shore to Eagles Landing and Breezewood.
In Lewes, Ken Mecham, board of public works general manager, said the town’s five wells provide service to roughly 3,000 customers.
Because the executive order was declared after the summer season, the drought’s effects may be reduced, he said.
“One of the things that we noticed was the change in seasonal use. Water consumption has a tendency to decline after Labor Day and the summer residents leaving. That, in itself, provides some consideration,” said Mecham.
He said after October water bills are sent, the town may have a better idea of the drought’s effect.
“As far as our wells are concerned, we’re monitoring them closely.
“They’re in a very large aquifer. There’s no significant difference in levels at the moment. We certainly endorse conservation and recognize it’s a finite supply,” he said.
Said Dewey Beach Town Manager Gordon Elliott, “Our water tables are running high. Most of the town is in a flood zone, especially south. Even a foot down, there’s water.”
The statewide water council will continue advising Sussex municipalities, including private and public water suppliers, implementing conservation efforts.
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Wise water-use tips
You may wonder, when you consider all the oceans and seas on a globe, why there is any need to use water sparingly. The truth is, although 70 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water, only one percent of it is fresh water.
People only need about a half-gallon of water per day to live. The average Delawarean uses 75 to 100 gallons per day. We can reduce our water use by 20 to 40 percent at very little expense or inconvenience. Start saving now by calling your water utility for free or low-cost water conservation kits.
• Fix leaky faucets and toilets immediately. This is the top water conservation tip. Small faucet drips will waste many gallons of water a day. A 30-cent washer is usually all that is needed. Remove the toilet tank cover and drip 10 drops of food coloring into the tank. After 15 minutes, check for color in the bowl. If you see any color, your flapper valve leaks and it should be replaced immediately. If you can hear your toilet always running, it is leaking badly. Running leaks can waste hundreds of gallons quickly, which add up to thousands of gallons of wasted water, and money, a year.
• Install water saving shower heads. Low-flow showerheads deliver 2.5 gallons of water per minute or less and are relatively inexpensive. Older showerheads use 5 to 7 gallons per minute.
• Take shorter showers or take a bath. Simply taking shorter showers will save many gallons of water. For long exposures to the water, a partially filled bathtub instead of a shower will use less water.
• Check into a low-flow toilet. Older toilets use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush. Modern fixtures use only 1.6 gallons of water per flush, and some even less. Using these will cut indoor water use by at least 20 percent. If you cannot replace an older toilet, try a water displacement bag. Do not use bricks. They can crumble and may actually cause a leak.
• Install high efficiency, low-flow faucet aerators. Older faucets use between 3 and 7 gallons per minute. Low-flow faucet aerators use no more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute. The aerators easily install onto your existing faucets.
• Fill your dishwasher. Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water whether it is full or just partially full of dishes, so be sure to always run it full. Many dishwashers have a water saver cycle to save even more.
• Select proper water level for laundry. You can control the amount of water used by your clothes washers. Select the proper water level for each load of laundry. A front-loading washing machine uses 1/3 less water than a top-loading machine.
• Don't let water run down the drain while rinsing vegetables and dishes. Before rinsing, put the stopper in place, then when finished release the used sink water as the disposal is turned on. This also saves wear and tear on the disposal.
• Turn off the water while shaving, brushing teeth, etc. Don't let the water run when you brush your teeth, wash your face or hands, or shave.
• Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket. But if you must, wait on flushing until it needs it....
• Do collect rainwater from your downspouts. Use it to water your plants and garden.
• Keep drinking water in your refrigerator. Running faucets to get cool water can waste 7 gallons of water per minute. Instead, keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator.
(Source: Gov. RuthAnn Minner's office)
Contact Kevin Spence at kevin-spence@hotmail.com
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