Washington's water supply is slipping

Alex Cnossen • Feb 6, 2018

Feb 6, 2018

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                <h1>Washington's water supply is slipping</h1>
                <h2><p>According to the Drought Monitor, Washington's water woes are getting worse. An official drought index used by scientists and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the monitor showed Wednesday that 86 percent of the state is wrapped up in a severe drought — up from 15 percent at the</p></h2>
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               <p>By <a href="/author/alex-cnossen-crosscut-com/">Alex Cnossen</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
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            <p>According to the Drought Monitor, Washington's water woes are getting worse. An official drought index used by scientists and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the monitor showed Wednesday that 86 percent of the state is wrapped up in a severe drought — up from 15 percent at the start of the year, KIRO <a href="http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/western-wash-severe-drought/nmt3P/?ref=avalancheghost.one">reports</a>.</p><p>Seattle Public Utilities has changed its water supply outlook from good to fair. Since May, people have been using 21 percent more water than expected, SPU says. Water restrictions aren't yet in place, but SPU urges customers to use water wisely. Weekly update are posted on their <a href="http://www.seattle.gov/Util/MyServices/Water/AbouttheWaterSystem/WaterSupply/index.htm?ref=avalancheghost.one">website</a>.</p>
          </article>

According to the Drought Monitor, Washington's water woes are getting worse. An official drought index used by scientists and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the monitor showed Wednesday that 86 percent of the state is wrapped up in a severe drought — up from 15 percent at the start of the year, KIRO reports.

Seattle Public Utilities has changed its water supply outlook from good to fair. Since May, people have been using 21 percent more water than expected, SPU says. Water restrictions aren't yet in place, but SPU urges customers to use water wisely. Weekly update are posted on their website.

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By Alex Cnossen

Alex Cnossen is a Northwest native and has worked for several local publications, including KOMO, KIRO and KING-TV. He grew up in Portland and loves to run and write. Follow him on Twitter @CnossenAle