Monmouth and Ocean Counties are among 12 counties in the New Jersey under a drought watch.

The drought watch was issued by the Department of Environmental Protection, according to nj.com. This action alone does not mean there are mandatory water restrictions, but communities can use the announcement to enact restrictions.

According to the article, officials are hoping that voluntary restrictions, or some significant rain can avoid the need for mandatory restrictions. The state is urging all residents in the affected areas to monitor water usage and follow local mandatory restrictions if they are enacted.

The water issues shouldn't really come as a surprise. There were times this summer at the Shore when it felt like it hadn't rained in weeks. Great news for tourism, for sure, but not such good news for the water supply. Please keep an eye on your water usage Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

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