State officials on Friday declared a drought watch in Westmoreland County as a voluntary water conservation order remains in effect for some customers of the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County.

The state Department of Environmental Protection said moving Westmoreland County to drought watch status will support the efforts there to conserve water.

According to the municipal authority, the conservation order applies to its Beaver Run system.

The voluntary conservation order was issued on Nov. 16 because lack of rain caused the Beaver Run Reservoir to fall to a level that triggered the authority’s drought contingency plan.

Since then, rain received at the reservoir more than doubled for the month of November, according to the authority.

Rains deposited about 82 million gallons in the reservoir on Nov. 17 and about 164 million gallons during Nov. 21-23.

Still, as of Nov. 27, the reservoir elevation was 1,034 feet above sea level, which is down 7.1 feet from 1041.1, the historical average in November.

On Nov. 27, the reservoir contained about 5.6 billion gallons of water, compared to the historical November average of 7.746 billion gallons and the full capacity of 11.4 billion gallons.

“This may take a season to sort itself out,” authority Business Manager Brian Hohman said in an updated advisory. “In the meantime, every drop saved helps preserve the community’s water supply.”

Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell Township serves as the authority’s primary source of drinking water for the northern half of the system’s service area.

Under the voluntary conservation order, the authority is recommending the following water-saving steps:

• Turn the faucet off while brushing your teeth; rinse with a glass of water.

• When shaving, use a sink filled with rinse water.

• Take short showers instead of baths.

• Fill the sink with water to pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher.

• Place a bucket in the shower to catch water that is wasted while you adjust your shower water temperature and recycle this water for plants or other watering uses.

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