THE YORK WATER COMPANY REQUESTS VOLUNTARY WATER USE RESTRICTION BY CUSTOMERS

The York Water Company is initiating voluntary restrictions on nonessential water use due to the extended reduced supply in the company’s watersheds. York County is currently in a Drought Watch after particularly dry January, February, May, July, and August, with a rain deficit YTD of 10.49”.

The hot and particularly dry summer conditions that are extending into September make supply conditions worse, particularly in the South-Central portion of the Commonwealth. According to York Water’s President and CEO, JT Hand, “Even the few storms that we have seen across the region have largely missed York or have fallen short of expectations, week after week. We are at a point now where we have to ask our customers to come together as a community and conserve our resources.”

Ways in which we all can reduce non-essential use:

• Repair appliance and toilet leaks
• Use washers and dishwashers only with full loads
• Take shorter showers and turn off water while soaping
• Reduce the number of toilet flushes per day
• Keep chilled drinking water in the refrigerator
• Do not wash cars, trucks, and other vehicles
• Delay activities that require use of pressure washers or hoses
• Do not water lawns and landscaping
• Cease watering golf courses, fairways and greens, athletic fields, and other recreational facilities
• Curtail use of fountains, artificial waterfalls, and reflecting pools.

Our commercial and industrial customers are also being notified to reduce non-essential water use where possible and where activities can be rescheduled. Please refer to the York Water website for other voluntary reduction opportunities.

While scattered showers are predicted over the next four days, none of the events are appreciable. The Company is keeping an eye on Tropical Depression 13 forming in the Atlantic with the National Weather Service predicting it may develop into a significant hurricane event 10 to 14 days from now. With the Company’s Lake Williams Reservoir empty and the construction at Lake Williams vulnerable, the Company is balancing the fine line between too much and not enough water in storage. Earlier today York Water activated its Susquehanna River Pumping Station to supplement our water supply.

According to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, this year’s light snowpack and low precipitation made an unusually dry spring. On June 1, 2023, more than 50 water users were on mandatory reduction or zero water use restrictions, compared to five projects in 2022 and zero in 2021. If conditions do not change over the next month, it is possible that mandatory water use restrictions will be triggered for York and other water supply customers in certain portions of the Commonwealth. Conserving today makes it more likely we will not face mandatory restrictions later this fall.

We appreciate our community coming together to conserve our resources.