New Jersey’s drought continues: Are you doing your part to help?

Climate change? What climate change?!

Some statistics from the National Weather Service go back to the late 1800s. Records show October saw parts of New Jersey being the driest they have ever been in recorded history.

It’s a big deal. This week, the state moved from a drought watch to a drought warning. Calls for voluntary water conservation continue. It's not until a drought emergency is declared by Gov. Murphy that mandatory water restrictions can be allowed.

Shouldn't we already be at that point? You be the judge.

As of Nov. 7, the Manasquan Reservoir was below 52% of its capacity. As. As someone very familiar with the reservoir, I can visualize how disturbing that is.

Spruce Run Reservoir in Hunterdon County was less than 32% on Tuesday. Meanwhile, in Passaic County, the Wanaque, Monksville, and Greenwood Lake reservoirs were at 36% capacity.

There are dire warnings of the drought approaching the point of us not being able to properly fight fires being a very real possibility. And you lawn snobs thought your brown grass was the biggest concern.

We took calls on this during New Jersey 101.5's afternoon show on Wednesday, and overwhelmingly, people felt that we should start having mandatory restrictions now. Until that happens, we have a few questions.

First, did you have it drilled into you as a kid to not let the water run as you brushed your teeth? Also, how long are your showers typically?

They say the average shower with a standard showerhead uses 25 gallons of water. If that seems like a lot, it’s nothing compared to taking a bath, which, on average, uses 70 gallons.

What about washing a car? Do you do it on your own in your driveway, or do you take it to a car wash? Doing it yourself typically uses 100 gallons or more, whereas a car wash generally uses 65 to 80 gallons per car. How often are you doing it?

Answer our poll questions below to see where most New Jerseyans stand on water consumption. After you see how other New Jerseyans answer, we'll provide you with some helpful tips while we're trying to save water.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.
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