Minnesota DNR asks state to conserve water at home
MINNEAPOLIS – Parts of the state, including Twin Cities and southwestern Minnesota, are experiencing extreme drought. To help combat this, the Department of Natural Resources is asking residents to conserve water at home.
"Whether it's the height of the summer, or dead of winter, we can have drought conditions here in Minnesota," DNR Climatologist Luigi Romolo said.
Right now, parts of southern Minnesota need to see 11 to 15 inches of precipitation before the end of the year.
"Everybody thinks that water availability here in Minnesota is a bottomless pit, but we soon realize that it's not the case when we are faced these conditions," Romolo said.
It's that reason that the state is asking Minnesotans to voluntarily cut back on water use. Romolo says it's not an usual ask, but consistent with the severe drought the state is dealing with.
"Every drop that we can conserve is a drop that can be used later on," he said.
According to the DNR, the average Minnesota uses 52 gallons of water, per person, per day – but there are ways to cut back on that number. Things like not running water when shaving or brushing their teeth, taking shorter showers and maximizing laundry loads.
It's a seemingly simple ask, until Minnesota is back on track.
"If we get a healthy snow pact and retain that snow pact, we could actually recover from the situation," Romolo said.
The DNR has several tools online that can help you determine how much water you use, and where you can cut back.