As southern Maine’s drought deepens, homeowners with shallow dug wells get desperate

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Source: Portland Press Herald

"As the worst drought in more than a decade has gone from severe to extreme in southern Maine, many families who rely on shallow private wells have been forced to change the way they live. That might mean flushing only when necessary, buying water or hauling it from public sources, eating out instead of cooking, or skipping showers."

"Most of New England is in the depths of the worst drought in more than a decade. A wide swath from Massachusetts through southern New Hampshire and into southernmost Maine is experiencing an extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The rest of York County and all of Cumberland, Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties are in a severe drought, according to the National Drought Monitor Program."

"The rain that fell Tuesday, and more forecast for later this week, might give some relief, but it won’t make up for the dry summer or recharge aquifers. Maine’s drought is expected to persist through December, according to the national climate prediction center."

Read more: http://www.pressherald.com/2016/09/28/as-drought-deepens-homeowners-with-shallow-dug-wells-get-desperate/

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I have city water so I'm not having any issues with water at the moment. How about other New Englanders? Is the lack of rain becoming a problem for you?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Downeast, here, and have a drilled well. But have lived through droughts with

dried up dug wells before. Not fun!

Lakes and ponds are low and streams are just gone!

[kiri]

6. praying and drought collective punishment

Please consider. DU 'Mainiacs' have not worshipped our god-given governor, LePage.

The drought is surely that the rain god is pissed off, so much sinning in Maine. Gays, invaders from Massachusetts, even Canada{gasp}, fornication, workers rights, women {gaasp!}, the Feds,

I mean, if collective punishment was good for Noah, it is good for us now (fetuses, toddlers, etc., included). The sins of a few should be visited upon the many. Telle est la devise de Gov Lepage, n'est pas?

No wonder there is a drought.

Gov Perry in Texas organized a prayer ritual for rain. We know how successful he was. Apparently praying to the wrong god.

Right here in my living room I have a statue of the Aztec rain god Chaac. Praying to him/her doesn't work, either. Maybe too much CO2?

[NutmegYankee]

2. I'm on a community well system and we are on an outdoor usage ban. (SE Connecticut)

People were demanding water faster than the pumps could keep up.

Several smaller water systems are on similar bans or stricter bans and area reservoirs are dropping fast.

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3. People don't seem to be talking about it much on this site

but it is pretty unusual to have a drought like this in New England. We usually don't have a problem with lack of rain. The last time I remember a drought was in the 80's I think.

[NutmegYankee]

4. Yeah. The last 12 months actually one of the driest on record.

It matched on the 1962-1966 drought years. And the 1960s were a mega drought.

https://broadleafpapers.wordpress.com/the-broadleaf-papers/archived-posts/golden-anniversary-of-the-drought-most-northeasterners-have-forgotten-intro/

http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/1965-drought-new-englands-worst-ever/

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5. Before my time

Interesting though. That sounded a lot worse. We haven't had any bad fires so far. Last winter was pretty snowless too, which I thought was even more unusual than the lack of rain this past summer. People were freaking out more about the lack of snow because we expect that in the winter. It was bad for the winter recreation business.

[NickB79]

7. Had no idea they were in a drought. Minnesota's on track to have the wettest year ever

http://blogs.mprnews.org/updraft/2016/09/200-year-flood-event-wettest-year-on-record-so-far/

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

8. Makes sense. They're getting all the rain we usually get in NE. n/t