Drought in New Jersey, August 1 to 31, 2002

The unseasonably warm and dry month of August intensified drought conditions across the state. In fact very little precipitation fell across the state between August 2nd and the 24th. Nearby Philadelphia International Airport came within a day of tying the all-time record for the most consecutive days without measurable precipitation (25 days) during the summer. No measurable precipitation fell at the airport from July 29th through August 21st. In spite of mandatory restrictions, water usage increased as the month wore on. Water usage statewide was down by as much as 20 percent in May and June. As a result, tighter water restrictions were implemented on the 20th. A statewide ban of watering lawns and washing vehicles at residences was imposed. Limited outdoor watering of trees, shrubs and vegetable gardens was permitted on an odd-even basis. The new restrictions requires non-agricultural commercial water systems using more than 100,000 gallons per day to submit to the department no later than September 10th their previously required water use reduction contingency plans for 10 to 50 percent reductions. In addition, by September 30th, the water suppliers must outline and submit to the department any adverse economic impacts resulting from the implementation of a 20 percent water use reduction. Earlier in the month all open burning was banned except for barbecues and permits for religious ceremonies. The preliminary statewide average precipitation total for the month of August was 3.62 inches. Normal is 4.56 inches. The Delaware River Basin Commission, which oversees water supply throughout the Delaware River Basin declared a "drought" on December 3, 2001 when the supply of water in the New York City reservoir system dropped below a designated level for early December. The commission declared a drought emergency on December 18, 2001. Both triggered additional reductions in the amount of water released from the reservoirs into the Delaware River and the amount diverted out of the Delaware River Basin to New York City and New Jersey. Diversions to New York City dropped from 800 million gallons a day to 520 million gallons a day. The emergency declaration gave the commission the power to restrict the amount of water suppliers could draw from the basin. It gave the commission the authority to take water from municipal reservoirs to maintain river levels. It could also call for water releases from federal, state and privately owned reservoirs. Water from Lake Nockamixon, the F.E. Walter Reservoir and Lake Wallenpaupack could be used to maintain river levels. They were last used for this purpose in the 1960s. The releases help protect the riverbank and aquatic life and also prevents salt water from flowing up the Delaware River. Salt water intrusion causes corrosion problems for industries and increases water treatment costs for municipalities that depend on the river for their water supply. Maintaining river levels are also important for groundwater reserves that are recharged by the river itself. As of August 31st, the salt front along the Delaware River was eight miles farther upstream than its normal August position. The emergency declaration also gives the commission the power to request that utilities and other companies that use more than one million gallons of water a day to prepare contingency plans to use less water and submit the plans to the commission. The New York City Reservoirs which feed the Delaware River decreased from 76.5 percent of capacity on August 1st to 59.7 percent of capacity on September 1st. The northern New Jersey reservoirs were at about 65 percent of capacity as of August 31st, about 12 percent below normal. For the month streamflow on the Delaware River was about 75 percent of normal. On a county weighted average, August monthly precipitation totals ranged from 2.9 inches in Cape May County to 4.7 inches in Middlesex County. Most of this fell during the last week of the month. The greatest precipitation fell across central New Jersey. Monthly precipitation totals were 2.43 inches at the Atlantic City International Airport and 4.05 inches in Trenton.