Westminster, MD, Wednesday, September 20, 2023 – Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued a press release on September 20, 2023 officially upgrading the alert and declaring a drought warning for central Maryland, which includes Carroll County. Residents should please be aware of this water shortage and do their part to conserve. 

MDE and Carroll County ask residents to be mindful of water usage and voluntarily reduce water use by 10% to 15%.  The state’s news release notes, “Water conservation is a good practice year-round, but we are asking water systems to take extra precautions as dry conditions persist,” said Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain. “Consumers can help by limiting the use and duration of sprinklers for lawns, taking short showers as opposed to baths, and not leaving the faucet running while brushing your teeth. These things sound simple, but it all adds up.”

MDE provides a list of additional water conservation measures in a water conservation fact sheet and also promotes a list of recommendations for water conservation for business and industry, such as restaurants and commercial buildings, on their site.