Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

No drought watch for New Castle County

Delaware Public Media

A drought watch being considered for New Castle County won’t happen after recent rainfall diminished water supply concerns.

 

According to the Office of the Delaware State Climatologist, there is a drought watch in effect for parts of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, But the First State is not joining that group. Rainfall Wednesday and Thursday pushed the state's Water Supply Coordinating Council to take no action on a possible drought watch for Northern New Castle county Thursday morning.

 

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Water Supply Section Manager John Barndt chairs the Water Supply Coordinating Council.  He said in addition to the relief from Mother Nature, demand for water is down.  Still, he suggested the council should not completely dismiss the possibility of a drought watch for the county during the next few months.

 

"This is the dry time of year, it’s always a dry time of year, unless we get a hurricane or something comes up the coast," Barndt said. "I think people are pretty comfortable that we just keep an eye on it for the next few weeks or months. If it does turn dry again, we may need to come back and revisit."

 

Barndt said demand for water is also down, leaving him comfortable with waiting until the council’s January meeting to re-examine the county’s water supply. He added a drought watch isn’t completely out of the question.

 

"We’re getting into a wetter period, although we’re still gonna have higher temperatures, so it is possible, but I’m not as concerned as I was on the meeting of the 19th," Barndt said.

 

Due to minimal rainfall in August and September, the state’s Water Supply Coordinating Council met for an emergency session Sept. 19. However, rainfall that week caused them to delay a drought watch decision until Thursday's regular meeting.

 

Related Content