D.C. area under drought watch as heat rises

By Alexis TaylorAFRO Managing Editor Residents in the D.C. area are now under a drought watch, according to an alert issued by the Drought Coordination Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG).& The notice came on July 29, and will impact nearly roughly six million people.& D.C. area residents are currently under a drought watch, increasing the need for water conservation efforts. The alert came two days before D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser activated a heat emergency on July 31. (Credit: Unsplash / PAN XIAOZHEN) Residents are asked to take a variety of measures to cut down water usage, including reducing showers to five minutes, using garbage disposals as little as possible and holding off on watering lawns and plants unless absolutely necessary.Officials say they are following the regional drought response plan by initiating the drought watch.& Even though COG officials say there is currently “an adequate supply of water in the Potomac River and back-up reservoirs,” DC Water representatives report the water levels are low enough to cause concern.At this point in time, COG says “implementing voluntary water conservation practices across the region will help complement measures already in place and reduce water demand and environmental needs of...