Gov. Matt Meyer declared a statewide drought watch Wednesday because precipitation levels have seen a steep and steady decline for the second time in three years particularly in Kent and Sussex Counties.
Matthew Grabowski is an environmental program administrator for DNREC’s Division of Water. He explains how the state got to this point.
"Really, if you look back at the climatic data of the last 10 months or so, we haven't had an above normal precipitation month since July of 2025,” said Grabowski. “So it's 10 months of below normal precipitation across the state that's truly gotten us to where we are today. We have declining groundwater levels in the groundwater as well as below average stream flows in the majority of the streams across the state."
The drought watch was issued with guidance from the Delaware Water Supply Coordinating Council, which notes the state would need to receive 21 inches of rainfall over the next three months to get water supply levels back to normal.
According to DNREC, that’s about eight-to-nine inches above normal, and highly unlikely. The State Climatologist Office at UD says there’s a two-to-three percent chance of that happening.
The drought watch seeks to increase awareness of the situation, and asks Delawareans to take voluntary water conservation measures.
Residents are also asked to practice wise water use in their homes to help preserve the state’s water resources for more necessary uses.
Grabowski gives a few examples.
"If you run your dishwasher every day, well, maybe we can run it when it's full, right? Just to maximize the usage of the water, if you must water your plants and things, it's all about timing of day, right? So maybe do that in the morning or in the evening, not in the middle of the day where we'll be losing water too evaporation and those kind of things," said Grabowski.
The drought watch is in effect until further notice.
