The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a drought watch for 27 counties in Pennsylvania, including Carbon, Monroe and Schuylkill counties.

Despite the recent surge of surface water caused by snow melt, parts of the state have below-average groundwater levels.

Low groundwater levels can cause well-fed water supplies, both private and public, to go dry.

The very dry fall and below-normal precipitation in January and February have contributed to low groundwater levels in the northeast and central portions of the state. The increasing temperatures and melting snow have helped, but groundwater levels may not be back to normal before the summer.

Other counties under watch are: Berks, Bradford, Cambria, Clinton, Columbia, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, Westmoreland, and Wyoming.

To reduce their water use, residents can:

• Run water only when absolutely necessary; and avoid keeping water flowing while brushing teeth, or turning on the shower many minutes before use.

• Check for household leaks - a leaking toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water each day.

• Run dishwashers and washing machines only with full loads.

• Replace older appliances with high-efficiency, front-loading models that use about 30 percent less water and 40 to 50 percent less energy.

• Install low-flow plumbing fixtures and aerators on faucets.

DEP is notifying all water suppliers in the affected areas of the need to monitor their supplies, particularly those that rely upon groundwater, and update their drought contingency plans as necessary.

A drought watch declaration is the first and least-severe level of the state's three drought classifications. It calls for a voluntary 5 percent reduction in non-essential water use and puts large water consumers on notice to begin planning for the possibility of reduced water supplies.

Through a cooperative program with the U.S. Geological Survey, DEP helps fund a statewide network of gauges to monitor groundwater levels and stream flows. This network provides the state's drought coordinator with comprehensive data that is used to determine drought classifications. In addition to precipitation, groundwater and stream flow levels, DEP monitors soil moisture and water supply storage. This data is shared with other state and federal agencies.