The effects of a dry two-month period are most visible to Upper Perkiomen Valley residents at the Green Lane Reservoir. Along Route 663 in Upper Hanover, the

The Green Lane Reservoir, off of Layfield Road  (Route 663) in Uppr Hanover Twp., with remnants of the old Layfield Road exposed.

usual blue reflection has been replaced by a brown tint. Part of Old Route 663 and the former Mensch Dam Road are visible to commuters.

            Earlier this month, water at the reservoir dropped to approximately seven feet below the spillway. On Nov. 4, the privately owned artificial lake held approximately three billion gallons, 69 percent of its normal capacity.

            Still, a spokesperson for Aqua – the company that owns the reservoir and serves approximately 1.5 million people in 32 counties in Pennsylvania – said it is not having any issues providing water to any of its contracted communities. According to Amanda Burge, a regional communications specialist, the water level would have to drop another seven feet before it considered issuing more strict conservation efforts.

            "Based on the current levels and our drought monitoring plans, the reservoir is about where we expected," Burge wrote in a Nov. 4 email message.

            Similar water level drops at the reservoir, which normally holds 4.4 billion gallons, have been infrequent over the last 50 years. According to the responses provided by Burge, it experienced a comparable drop in 2016, but not to this scale. The facility experienced similar declines in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

            Since the end of August, rainfall in southeastern Pennsylvania has been nearly eight inches below normal. The Pennsylvania Drought Task Force, part of the state's Department of Environmental Protection, recently placed Montgomery and Berks counties under a drought warning and Bucks and Lehigh counties under a drought watch.

            Drought declarations are based on four numeric indicators: stream flow, groundwater level, precipitation and soil moisture. Counties in the warning category meet three of those indicators in "warning" status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to reduce their water use by 10-15 percent.

            Counties in the watch category meet three of those indicators in "watch" status. Residents are encouraged, but not required, to reduce their water use by five to 10 percent, according to a Nov. 1 news release from the DEP.

            While not required, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily conserve water by reducing nonessential water use. Public water suppliers may request water conservation measures to ensure the reliable delivery of drinking water. Late last month, Aqua PA issued a voluntary Water Conservation notice.

            The dry conditions prompted the Upper Hanover Fire Marshal to extend the township's current burn ban. Countywide bans are currently in place in Berks (through Dec. 2) and Bucks (through Nov. 25) counties, according to information posted online by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. This week, Lehigh County Commissioners were expected to vote on a similar ban.

            Burge expressed confidence that her company can continue to supply its systems. Aqua actively monitors and manages its water supplies daily.

            "The longer the drought goes on, the more restrictions would have to go into place," the response states.

            The period without rain could leave residents with relatively shallow wells vulnerable to having it run dry. In the last two months, Mayer's Well Drilling, located at 1525 Kumry Road in Milford Township, has replaced 10 wells. Owner Todd Mayer described it as a high number.

            "In these conditions, those will be the most vulnerable," he said.

            Mayer points to the relatively dry recent winter seasons as the main culprit. He said the discovery of problematic wells usually occurs in a neighborhood where all the homes were built at the same time.

            "A well is nothing more than a hole that collects water," said Mayer, who estimated the total cost of drilling a replacement well 300 feet deep, along with the installation of a new pump and water system, at between $15,000 and $20,000. "There's nothing magical about it."