Drought Divides New Jersey

North Jerseyans call it “wawder.” South Jerseyans say “wudder.” But the differences between these two halves of the state, as far as water goes, run deeper than pronunciation: The availability of the substance also varies starkly.

“The southern end of the state is not feeling the impact of the long dry spell that has shrunk reservoirs and lowered groundwater across some other parts of New Jersey,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported, citing Carmen Tierno, a senior director of operations for New Jersey American Water company.

The state Environmental Protection Department put much of North Jersey under a drought warning in October, urging voluntary conservation, the report said. The declaration covering 14 northern counties enables environmental regulators to “direct water to areas most in need and restrict flows from reservoirs,” the report said.

The warning spanned northern and coastal northern New Jersey, according to New Jersey 101.5. It marks the first time in about 15 years that New Jersey regulators have taken this step, ramping up a previous decision to put the state under a drought watch.

There are key differences between the water supplies in the north and south sides of the state, including climate and the degree of reservoir reliance.

“Northern counties rely much more on reservoirs, Tierno said, which are subject to evaporation,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

That’s a problem for North Jersey given the state of reservoirs this year. Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, provided an update.

“The storage capacity in many of our major reservoir systems is now about 50 percent capacity or less. The situation is becoming more critical and we need customers of water supply companies to do their part and conserve water wherever possible,” he said, per 101.5.

The next step, if rain does not curtail drought conditions, is to declare a drought emergency, according to Hajna.

The severity of dry conditions in North and South Jersey also varies. The U.S. Drought Monitor says North Jersey is in a “severe drought,” while South Jersey is devoid of drought conditions.

To read more about drought visit Water Online’s Source Water Scarcity Solutions Center.