On Aug. 31, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Commonwealth Drought Task Force declared a drought watch in 36 Pennsylvania counties. Those counties include Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cameron, McKean, Potter, Lycoming and Mifflin.
Though the state has seen a fair amount of rainfall over the past week, Penn State Extension water resources program leader Jennifer Fetter said it isn't enough to bring everything back to normal.
"The big impact that we were seeing is really reduced groundwater," Fetter said. "We were starting to see streams looking pretty low and pretty dry. Folks were starting to stress their well water at home and have to wait for their wells to replenish or find alternative sources of water."
According to Fetter, Pennsylvania usually gets around 42 inches of rainfall a year. While it's normal for the amount to vary, this year is significantly behind.
"Household water conservation is definitely something that everyone can do to alleviate some of the stresses of drought," Fetter said.
The DEP is asking residents on drought watch to reduce their water use by 5-10%. Some tips for conserving water include fixing leaks, reusing dishwater for gardens and not using water for unnecessary activities.
Two public water suppliers are requiring residents to reduce their water use: Galeton Borough Water Authority in Potter County and Waterville Water Association in Lycoming County.
Also, several suppliers are asking residents to voluntarily reduce their water use, including BCI Municipal Authority in Clearview County, Driftwood Borough in Cameron County, Jersey Shore Area Joint Water Authority in Lycoming County and Lock Haven in Clinton County.
The Commonwealth Drought Task Force meets again on Tuesday.