Drought prompts burn ban, calls for water conservation

Drought conditions have prompted Delaware officials to institute a burn ban and encourage residents to begin conserving water.

The ban on outdoor burning includes bonfires, burning of yard waste, demolition burning and prescribed burns for land management and agricultural land maintenance. Campfires are permitted only in areas cleared of all combustibles, surrounded by a non-combustible ring no larger than 3 feet by 3 feet and used for cooking only. Grills and hibachis are allowed in areas cleared of surrounding combustibles and used for cooking only.

“Ground conditions and a lack of precipitation have created dry conditions conducive to rapid fire spread,” State Fire Marshall John Rudd said.

Conditions in Newark are considered moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor . Most of the state is experiencing the same conditions, though some portions of the state, including a swath of southern New Castle County, are in severe drought.

So far this year, Newark has received approximately 40 inches of rain, which is not that far off the yearly average of 45 inches. However, most of that rainfall came earlier this year and during an early-August storm that dropped several inches of rain.

Since then, little rain has fallen. Newark has seen no rainfall in October and less than an inch in September, making it one of the driest autumns on record.

Due to decreased water flow, Newark officials have not been able to pump enough water from White Clay Creek and are turning to the Newark Reservoir to supplement the city's water supply.

The water level in the reservoir is down nine feet due to use over the past weeks, officials said.

“We're about as low in the reservoir as we've been since it was built,” City Manager Tom Coleman said.

Public Works Director Tim Filasky emphasized the city still has “plenty of water for right now” and continues to pump water from the South Well Field off South Chapel Street.

The reservoir – which at full capacity contains 317 million gallons of water and is 55 feet deep – has enough water to last 150 days at max usage.

“If we have to, we'll drain it dry, and then we'll be in a different discussion,” Filasky said. “But hopefully we'll get some rain before that.”

There is no rain forecasted for the next two weeks, though the National Weather Service's seasonal drought outlook predicts the drought in Delaware will improve by the end of January.

“We're certainly keeping an eye on it, but it's something we have planned for and we do have contingency plans for in the form of interconnections with both Artesian and Veolia,” Filasky said, referring to private water companies they city can buy water from if the reservoir is depleted.

Delaware experienced a severe drought in 1999 and again in 2002, after which the state studied ways to be better prepared for the next drought. The Newark Reservoir, which was completed in 2006, came out of those recommendations, as did an effort to connect the various water systems in New Castle County.

“They've done a lot of work, and over the last 25 years, water demand in northern New Castle County is lower,” Coleman said.

State officials noted that reservoirs in the northern part of the state, interconnections between the state’s public water systems, use of aquifer storage and recovery, and other enhancements to the public water supply have all been designed to make northern New Castle County more resilient for extended dry weather events.

“Since the last severe drought in 2002, public and private water purveyors have built over two billion gallons of reserve water supply storage that include reservoirs, impoundments, aquifer storage, and new wells,” Gerald J. Kauffman, director of Delaware Water Resources Center, said. “These reserve supplies, coupled with water demand conservation achieved by the public, mean that Delaware is well on the path toward water supply self-sufficiency.”

State climatologist Kevin R. Brinson said he expects the state's water supply to continue to deteriorate in the short term, but the long-term outlook remains unclear.

“Our seasonal outlook isn’t looking particularly dry, but it’s not looking wet either. We’re expecting a La Nina to develop this winter, which tends to mean warmer and drier conditions for our region,” Brinson said. “Given how dry it’s been, any recovery we experience this winter would likely take some time to occur. That’s why it’s so important that we start to monitor the dry conditions closely now instead of waiting until late winter or early next spring when the demand for water will go back up. As much as we can, we want to stay ahead of this potential drought.”

David Wunsch, director of the Delaware Geological Survey, emphasized the importance of monitoring.

“The Delaware Geological Survey maintains infrastructure to monitor drought conditions, including groundwater monitoring wells that help us to determine trends in water levels,” Wunsch said. “These serve as indicators that help us to provide real data that the state can use to guide recommendations for mediating drought conditions.”

State officials are urging residents to fix water leaks and insulate exposed pipes to avoid leaks.

“While the state’s water supply remains strong and sufficient, it is extremely important for residents in northern Delaware to take steps to conserve water in whatever ways they can to help offset the lack of rainfall,” state environmental secretary Shawn M. Garvin said. “This will help maintain existing water supply levels should we face more painful drought conditions. Since surface water is the main source of drinking water in the northern part of the state, taking preventative steps now will help to avoid a potential supply issues later.”