News From Around the Basin – June 20, 2025
News Release: Drought Watch Lifted for the D.C. Metro Area
Very little rainfall and high temperatures during the summer of 2024 led officials to recommend residents use water wisely to reduce demand on the Potomac River. Today, acting in part due to a recommendation by the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB), the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ (COG) Drought Coordination Committee lifted the Drought Watch declaration that had been in place since July 2024.
The COG regional drought plan triggers a Drought Watch when the entire Metropolitan Washington region is considered in moderate drought conditions – or worse – on the National Weather Service U.S. Drought Monitor map. Last year’s Drought Watch was the first enacted since 2010.
“The recommendation of ICPRB was based on several factors,” explains Michael Nardolilli, the executive director of ICPRB, “The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows zero signs of drought in the Potomac River watershed. The recent rains have nearly erased the basin’s cumulative precipitation deficits. While spring rains are generally ineffective for groundwater recharge, given the amount of rain the basin has received over the past couple months, staff at ICPRB are optimistic that there will be continued improvement in groundwater levels.”
According to Dr. Cherie Schultz, director of ICPRB’s Section for Cooperative Water Supply Operations on the Potomac (CO-OP), “Even if we end up in a similar situation as last summer, with very little rainfall and record-breaking temperatures, the Washington Metropolitan area is well-prepared to withstand a drought due to decades of careful planning and strong partnerships among water utilities and government agencies.”
As part of a unique cooperative water supply system, Washington Metropolitan water suppliers share and jointly fund upstream drinking water reservoirs – constructed several decades ago – that can supplement river flow, if needed. The upstream reservoirs are currently full.
In addition to the Washington Metropolitan Drought Watch declaration being lifted, the Virginia Department of the Environment lifted all drought advisories for the Commonwealth. As of June 15, 2025, central Maryland remains in Drought Warning status according to the Maryland Department of the Environment.
Nardolilli urges residents to still conserve water when possible by taking simple actions such as turning off the faucet when not actively using it, limiting time in the shower, and only watering plants and lawns when needed.
“The Potomac River is the drinking water source for more than 5 million people in the Washington Metropolitan area and should be treated as a precious resource,” says Nardolilli.