Murphy Administration Issues Statewide Drought Warning, Urges Public and Businesses to Reduce Water Use- Read the full news release here.

DIRECTIVE ACTIVATES DEP AUTHORITY TO CLOSELY MANAGE WATER SUPPLIES

 

On December 5th, The Murphy Administration issued a statewide water supply Drought Warning, urging residents and businesses to reduce water use as a result of persistent below-average precipitation and deteriorating water supply conditions across New Jersey.

“The Department of Environmental Protection is closely monitoring drought indicators and water supplies to ensure we have enough water across the state,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “While there are currently no mandatory restrictions in place, it is up to each of us to take precautions now and do our part by conserving water use in and around our homes and businesses.”

“The precipitation and water supply uncertainty we’ve experienced over the past year is a symptom of the impacts of climate change here in New Jersey,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “We ask residents, businesses, and partners in local government to join us in spreading the urgency of the need to conserve water.”

Commissioner LaTourette today signed an Administrative Order authorizing the Drought Warning designation, which is the next stage of drought status after a Drought Watch and a step below a Drought Emergency, which could call for mandatory water-use restrictions. The state had been under a Drought Watch since Oct. 1 of this year.

The last statewide Drought Warning was issued in November 2024. The warning was lifted in June of this year, following record rainfall in May, although the Coastal South region of the state remained in a watch. Overall, though, the state has experienced below-average precipitation for more than a year, leading to the issuance of a Drought Watch in October and today’s issuance of a Drought Warning. Continue reading...

The goal of a Drought Warning is to preserve and balance available water supplies to avert more serious water shortages in the future. The Administrative Order establishes a formal process for the DEP to work with water suppliers in affected regions to ensure no single water supplier or region faces a significant shortfall if dry weather and high customer demand continue.

Resources

• For more state water supply status information and to view the Administrative Order, visit njdrought.org
• For more detailed information on water conservation technologies, visit dep.nj.gov/conserve-water/
• For more information on water efficient appliances, visit dep.nj.gov/appliancestandards.