Drought Emergency Declared in Virginia

Virginia Gov. Mark Warner on Friday declared a state of emergency because of the ongoing drought and banned lawn watering and car washing in most parts of the state.

“My hope, my prayer, is that these actions, combined with a little more rain, will end the need for these restrictions,” Warner said at a news conference. “My concern is that the rains of the last few days may make people say that the crisis is gone. The crisis is not gone.”

Warner joined Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening in imposing water restrictions after weeks of saying that water usage was best controlled by local governments, not state officials.

But Warner said the drought, combined with stories of two small towns in central Virginia running out of water, convinced him that it was time to act broadly.

The new state restrictions supersede local measures, unless localities have imposed stricter rules. For most state residents, that means they may not water their lawns, wash their cars or fill swimming pools. Warner on Friday urged local water authorities to impose financial penalties on people who ignore the rules, but he said the state will not seek to enforce the restrictions on its own.

“We can live with the fact that our grass may die,” Warner said.

The state rules do not ban watering of gardens or bushes, which Warner said could be very costly to replace if they die. And car wash facilities may continue to operate. But golf course owners may water their greens and tees only at night.

Residents of far southwest Virginia, which has had more-frequent thunderstorms during the summer, are exempt from the new restrictions. The restrictions apply based on which river basin communities get their water from.

Most Northern Virginians also are not subject to the restrictions. Residents in those communities get their water from the Potomac River, which can be augmented by two large reservoirs.

But Warner warned that he may expand the ban to include Northern Virginia if the drought persists.