Voluntary drought restrictions take effect in Montgomery County, Pa.

EAST NORRITON, Pa. (WPVI) - Residents in parts of Montgomery and Chester counties have been asked to participate in voluntary water conservation measures as the entire Delaware Valley is under a drought watch.

"It's day to day," said Judy Harp walking through her East Norriton yard. The garden, to which she has been tending for 25 years, has all but dried up. You won't hear her complain, however.

"We'll just pray that we get rain soon, and hopefully we will and then we'll be back to normal," she said.

It's been 40 days without any measurable rain, which has led to a drought watch for most of the Delaware Valley and a drought warning in Berks County.

Meanwhile, all of South Jersey is experiencing either a severe or extreme drought.

It's led Pennsylvania American Water to ask its Norristown and Royersford customers, customers source by the Schuylkill River, to voluntarily limit water usage.

"This is really about prevention and making sure that we don't have to implement more stricter conservation measures in the future," said John Kelemen, external affairs manager for American Water in Southeast PA.

One of those measures comes down to your address. The water company is asking odd-numbered houses to water outdoors only on odd-numbered days, and even-numbered houses on even-numbered days.

"We thought it was an odd request. You know you kind of hear those kind of thing out west," said Jerry George.

Still, he says he will comply and so will Judy.

Still, Jerry George says he'll comply and so will Judy.

"We shut off the water about two weeks ago, the outside water when it got cold a couple of days," she said.

She says she doesn't need an email to tell her to be conscientious.

"I always do a full load in the washing machine and the dishwasher but that's the way I've been I guess," she said.

The water company says there's no end date for these conservation requests for now. It all depends on the forecast.