N.J. reservoir that supplies drinking water to 1.2M drops below half empty

The Manasquan Reservoir has reached historically low levels due to New Jersey's ongoing drought.

The reservoir in Howell, which can supply as much as 30 million gallons of water per day to the water utilities that serve Monmouth County, contains 2.3 billion gallons of water on Monday and is about 49.35% full — according to Marc Brooks, the executive director of the New Jersey Water Supply Authority.

"That is an historic low since the early 90s when it was only this low because it was the first time being filled," Brooks said in an email.

Built in 1990, the reservoir has a capacity of about 4.67 billion gallons.

The reservoir is part of a network that provides drinking water for more than 1.2 million people in Central New Jersey.

It is now at an elevation of about 91.2 feet above sea level, which is 11.73 feet below full, Brooks said. The reservoir was at 58% capacity in mid-October .

Monmouth County — like most of the state — is in a severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Some southern counties are facing even more dire "extreme drought conditions."

There has been only a one day with light rain in New Jersey since late September. Some relief is expected Wednesday night, with forecasters calling for a half-inch to an inch of rain in central New Jersey and 1 to 1.25 inches in northern counties.

The state Department of Environmental Protection last week declared a drought warning in New Jersey amid an unprecedented wave of dry weather that has led to shrinking water supplies and a rash of wildfires .

New Jersey American Water has issued a mandatory conservation notice for all customers across the state. The company urged customers to limit all non-essential water usage, including not watering outside until the spring and conserving as much as possible indoors.

"We are dedicated to responsible water management and are prepared to support Governor Murphy and the NJ DEP's action to move New Jersey to Drought Warning status," said Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water. "Our customers can trust that we are closely tracking water conditions and are prepared to take additional measures to support statewide water preservation efforts. However, it is critical for everyone to work together and conserve water now."

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