Voluntary water conservation requested as region enters Drought Watch

A Drought Watch has been declared for the greater Washington, D.C. area, including Montgomery County. Residents are urged to voluntarily conserve their water use.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) enacted a drought watch Wednesday. This applies to almost six million residents in D.C., suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia.

There are several levels in the Regional Drought Response Plan. After normal comes Drought Watch, then Drought Warning followed by a Drought Emergency.

This is the third consecutive year of dry conditions in the area, according to COG.

Recent high temperatures along with periods of very low streamflow levels have created the need to conserve water, according to COG. The Potomac River reached its lowest level in March and April of this year, based on 130 years of data. In addition, the two-year precipitation deficit is almost eight inches, according to COG.

However, COG stressed, currently there is “an adequate supply water in the Potomac and backup reservoirs.”

Residents are asked to limit indoor and outdoor water use. Indoors, residents are encouraged to limit their showers to under five minutes, turn off the water while brushing teeth or shaving, wash only full loads of dishes and clothes and fix any plumbing leaks.

Outdoors, people should monitor their outside watering, sweep sidewalks and driveways rather than hosing them down and avoid washing cars at home. Commercial car washes are acceptable as they recycle water.

The area most recently was under a drought watch between July 2024 and June 2025.

“Our region hasn’t seen extremely dry conditions like this in about two decades when local leaders and COG first established a drought response plan to support coordination and communication regionwide,” said Clark Mercer, COG Executive Director. “During the Drought Watch, we’re asking the public to help by incorporating simple, water-saving actions into their daily routines.”

“We’re working closely with our regional partners to actively monitor conditions and protect our shared water resources,” said WSSC Water General Manager and CEO Kishia L. Powell. “While our water supply remains stable, now is a great time for all of us to practice wise water use. By making simple, voluntary changes in daily routines, our customers can save water and money.”

The Potomac River supplies 78 percent of the drinking water for the region.