Officials Confirm Putnam Experiencing a ‘Severe Drought’
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Putnam County officials recently confirmed a report that the county is experiencing a ‘severe drought’ from a lack of rainfall.
“This is a serious concern for drinking water supplies in Putnam County,” Putnam County Department of Health’s Environmental Health Director Shawn Rogan remarked about a report from U.S. Drought Monitor, a collaboration through a partnership between the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“For public water sources, our staff maintain communications with water supply providers and are kept informed of any water use restrictions that are needed to conserve water,” Rogan continued. “Collaboration and open communication between the private and public sectors is vital. Water supply providers also directly advise municipalities when water supply plants are being overtaxed. Town engineers then inspect facilities to rule out any structural issues, and the town moves forward with either voluntary or mandatory water preservation interventions. Each of these steps is key to ensure residents’ access to drinking water remains uninterrupted.”
Joseph Paravati, P.E., Supervisor of Engineering at the Health Department, said officials are not allowed to take action to restrict water usage for residents who own wells.
“With the current and prolonged drought, we are urging residents with well water more than usual to be sure to fix any leaking plumbing fixtures such as toilets or dripping faucets,” he said. “It is extremely helpful to refrain from washing motor vehicles, structures, and driveways, and to limit or discontinue lawn and garden irrigation until the drought ends.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
