State officials warn about drought conditions in Lawerence & Mercer counties

HARRISBURG, Pa.— The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection declared Lawrence and Mercer counties among the 15 counties under a drought watch on Thursday.  The declaration means residents and businesses should reduce the use of water while raising awareness of the potential limited water supplies in the region.

The watch, the first and least severe level of the state's three drought classifications, calls for people and industries voluntarily cut back on water usage by 5 percent.

The other 13  counties put under the watch include Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Somerset, Venango, Warren and Washington.

DEP said Thursday it is notifying all water suppliers about the need to monitor supplies and to update any contingency plans as needed.