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By ANTHONY COLAROSSI; Times Leader Staff Writer
Thursday, September 21, 1995     Page: 1A

When Gov. Tom Ridge declared a drought emergency Wednesday in 32 eastern
and north central counties — including Luzerne, Lackawanna, Susquehanna and
Wyoming counties — it did more than trigger mandatory water use restrictions.
   
The declaration, the most serious measure the state can take in a drought,
allows local water suppliers to request permission from the state to ration
water to their customers.
    Rationing worries Jim Siracuse — Luzerne County’s Emergency Management
Agency executive director — more than any restriction.
   
“That’s a big concern,” Siracuse said. “That’s going to impact on
businesses and people more than restrictions on non-essential uses. Without
any substantial rainfall made up before late November, we’re really in
trouble.”
   
Rationing was permitted in the drought emergency of 1991. At that time,
some local water companies applied for and received state approval to limit
the amount of water their customers were allowed to use, Siracuse said.
   
Juneann Greco, a Pennsylvania Gas and Water Co. spokeswoman, says her
company has no plans to seek approval for water rationing. PG&W did apply for
rationing approval in 1991, but never actually limited customer usage, Greco
said.
   
PG&W’s Luzerne County water reserves are 64 percent full and its Scranton
reservoir is 57 percent full, Greco said. She could not say how far those
levels would have to fall to make the company requests rationing. PG&W serves
about 135,000 households in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. Average monthly
consumption is 4,800 gallons per household, Greco said.
   
A drought emergency is designed to reduce consumption by 15 percent or
more.
   
The drought emergency prohibits residents from watering lawns, irrigating
gardens, washing cars at home and filling or topping off swimming pools.
   
The restrictions also apply to residents who have their own wells.
   
Golf courses may no longer water their tees and greens except during
designated times. Restaurants may not serve water unless a customer requests
it. Water use also is prohibited in fountains, artificial waterfalls and
reflecting pools.
   
Violators of the restrictions will first receive a written warning from
local police, Siracuse said. Repeat violators will receive a citation and must
appear before a district justice. They may face fines up to $200.
   
“If there is either repeat or flagrant violations, then we would probably
issue a citation,” said Nanticoke Police Chief Chester Zaremba. “The first
step is going to be to educate people … that they should conserve water.”
   
The region is about 9 inches below the normal yearly precipitation level,
said Ridge spokesman Steve Miskin. It will have to rain steadily two or three
times a week for several weeks to make up the deficit, Miskin said.
   
If water suppliers are forced to ration water, customers who exceed the
water limits could receive surcharges, Siracuse said. Repeat violators could
see their water service cut off, he added.
   
A press release from Ridge’s office says 117 state water suppliers are
having problems meeting public demands, but Miskin did not know if any of the
suppliers are from this area.
   
Before Wednesday’s order, the area was under a drought warning and
consumers were encouraged to try to conserve water. A drought warning is
designed to reduce water consumption by 10 to 15 percent.
   
A drought watch alerts the public and government agencies to a possible
water shortage and is designed to reduce consumption by 5 percent.
   
Thirty-two counties are subject to the emergency restrictions, 24 counties
are under a drought watch and 11 are under a drought warning.
   
Both Siracuse and Miskin recommended that residents do whatever they can to
voluntarily limit water usage — from taking shorter showers and washing
dishes fewer times each week, to placing a brick in the toilet tank, so that
less water is used when flushing.
   
“We should start treating (water) as a very precious resource,” Siracuse
said.