A drought that first shriveled the corn and hay crops in Southern Maryland and on the Eastern Shore is forcing some residents across the state to suspend watering their lawns, filling their pools and washing their cars.
The latest city to issue mandatory restrictions is Westminster, which joins two other municipalities in Carroll County in banning outdoor water use. Emmitsburg in Frederick County and much of St. Mary's County have also put the brakes on outdoor watering in the past month.
Such water bans could remain in effect through the end of summer, officials said.
All three of the Baltimore area's reservoirs are below capacity for this time of year, but public works officials in Baltimore and Baltimore County say they don't expect to impose water restrictions.
Rainfall in counties affected by the drought has been 40 percent or more below average, and crop yields have declined at least 40 percent, the state Farm Service Agency said.
As municipalities restrict outdoor water use, federal agriculture officials are relaxing restrictions in several counties to permit livestock to feed on environmentally sensitive land that is generally off limits for grazing.
Farmers hit hard by the drought are being permitted to harvest hay on the conservation lands, which include buffer areas along wetlands and waterways.
Water restrictions are more common during the summer, but the drought could worsen if rainfall continues to come up short, said John Grace, a water supply division chief for the Maryland Department of the Environment.
"Water levels seasonally drop this time of year," Grace said. "But if we have a dry fall and winter this year, then we're going to be looking at a lot of systems that might put on restrictions. The key is what's going to happen over the next six months."
The lack of rain and two city wells with monthly average levels down about 41 feet and 10 feet led Westminster to ban outdoor water use this week, for the first time since the drought of 2002.
Officials in the Carroll County seat said the restrictions, which could last two months, aim to reduce by 20 percent the 3 million gallons the municipal system delivers on an average day.
"Even if it started raining today, even if we got caught up year to date, it takes a while for that water to recharge the groundwater table," Westminster Mayor Thomas K. Ferguson said.
