Millions of people in the Baltimore area are being asked to shorten showers and cut back on everyday water use as officials warn that drought conditions have pushed key water supplies to unusually low levels heading into summer.
The restrictions underscore growing concern about the region’s drinking water supply as Baltimore heads into the high-demand summer season, when usage typically spikes and reservoirs are already under strain. Officials say early conservation is critical to slowing the decline, protecting drinking water for roughly 1.8 million people and avoiding mandatory restrictions if drought conditions persist.
The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) issued voluntary water restrictions on May 14, urging residents and businesses across the city and surrounding counties to conserve water amid declining reservoir levels and below-average rainfall. Only days later, meteorologists warned of widespread heat surging across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions early this week, when temperatures are forecast to skyrocket to levels more typical of midsummer…