Berks County and seven other Pennsylvania counties have officially returned to normal status following the lifting of drought watch declarations, according to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The announcement came after the July 2 meeting of the Commonwealth Drought Task Force, which determined that Berks, Chester, Cumberland, Delaware, Franklin, Lehigh, Philadelphia, and Washington counties no longer meet the criteria for a drought watch. All counties in the Commonwealth are now considered to be in normal status.
Drought declarations in Pennsylvania are not based on a single factor. DEP evaluates a combination of four key indicators—stream flow, groundwater levels, precipitation, and soil moisture—over a 3- to 12-month period to assess drought status. Additional input from public water suppliers is also considered…