TRENTON, NJ— New Jersey governor James McGreevey last week declared a statewide drought emergency, which may mean trouble for hotels. So far restrictions brought on by the emergency include not serving water to guests in restaurants unless theres a specific request, banning lawn watering and car washing. However, at the moment commercial uses of water would be exempt from the restrictions. New Jersey is divided into six drought regions under the state Department of Environmental Protections water-use regulations. The northeastern and northwestern parts of the state have been hardest hit, according to a report on NJ.com, with only a 100-day supply of water remaining in some areas. The state has been dealing with drought conditions since October 2000, and is in the middle of the driest winter on record, the report said. New Jersey would need two inches of rain every week for five weeks to return to normal water levels. SOURCE: NJ.com
