``I think through the media, people are starting to pay attention, and the restrictions are having an impact on consumption,'' she said. ``But I don't want people to get overconfident, because we have a long way to go.''
In other words, the mandatory water restrictions will not be lifted anytime soon.
On Sunday, scattered showers finally came. The central part of the state got the most rainfall. About a half an inch of rain fell in southern Hunterdon County, according to the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly. Princeton, in Mercer County, got 0.41 inches.
South Jersey also got some rain. Mount Holly and Cherry Hill each received 0.14 inches, while Pennsauken received 0.13 and Millville 0.09.
While it was the second rainfall in a week, which softened the soil and reduced the threat of forest and brush fires, it was insignificant in terms of the water supply.
``It made the dust mud, but had no impact on water levels in the reservoirs,'' said hydrologist Walt Nickelsberg of the National Weather Service.
Whitman declared the drought emergency Thursday and imposed mandatory restrictions on outdoor water uses including lawn care and washing vehicles because of a precipitous drop in the state's reservoirs. The move came three days after she announced a drought warning to encourage voluntary conservation.
Managers at water companies throughout the state were reporting significant reductions in consumption since the emergency was declared.
New Jersey-American Water Co., the state's largest water company, serves about a million residents statewide, including 275,000 in South Jersey. The Haddon Heights-based company recorded a 39 percent drop in usage from the Sunday before the mandatory restrictions to this past Sunday.
``We attribute that in large part to the governor's mandatory restrictions and our customers doing their part to conserve water,'' company spokeswoman Lisa Rouh said yesterday.
