Despite Recent Floods, Drought Not Over In Pa., NJ

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- In the past couple of days the Delaware Valley has had flooding and more rain that we can handle, but that doesn't mean we should stop conserving water.

And even though the wet weather continues, so do the drought warnings and watches in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Helen Humphreys, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, says the recovery takes time:

"We look at a number of criteria in addition to precipitation.  One of them is ground water levels -- it take a little while until ground water levels are impacted.  We also look at stream flows across the state."

In both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, residents are asked to voluntarily cut back on water usage because of the summer's dry weather. New Jersey is monitoring water levels daily; Pennsylvania could make a change by the end of the month.

Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio.
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