Amid continuing drought conditions, Baltimore City’s reservoirs remain under pressure, with the Department of Public Works (DPW) saying in July that reservoirs were more than seven feet below normal levels.
Residents are asked to enact voluntary water conservation measures while Baltimore City is in a drought warning status. In a warning situation, the state aims to reduce water use by 10-15 percent.
Last month, DPW tested the emergency water supply system as a protective measure against prolonged drought. They tested infrastructure and operating procedures to get water from the Susquehanna River to Baltimore City residents in case conditions worsened. While the Susquehanna River is not part of the city’s normal daily water supply, it is available as an emergency source during severe drought conditions.
There are four key indicators for drought: rainfall, stream flow, groundwater and reservoir levels. Of those, three are normal, but groundwater levels are in the emergency range…