A statewide Drought Advisory first issued on June 27 remains in effect, and residents and businesses are encouraged to curtail water use.

The state’s Interagency Drought Workgroup announced Wednesday that the advisory has been extended, and requested people voluntarily reduce water use by 10 percent.

“This summer has been one of the hottest and driest on record in Connecticut, with only 75 percent of normal precipitation during the past three months,” Chris McClure, spokesman for the state Office of Policy and Management, said in a news release. "This follows a dry spring and a winter with little snowpack, which led to the issuance of a Drought Advisory in June.”

Stream flows and groundwater levels are at or near record low levels in many locations, he said. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the region is experiencing a "moderate drought." Precipitation levels thus far this year are about 13 inches below normal.

Several water companies around the state have requested voluntary or mandatory water conservation from their customers.

Locally, customers of the East Lyme's municipal water system and Aquarion Water Co. customers in Stonington and Mystic have been asked to curtail outdoor water use.

Customers of the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority system that serves the Montville Manor neighborhood have also been asked to conserve water.

Residents and businesses who use private wells are advised to conserve water to reduce the potential stress on their wells, neighboring wells and on the environment.

A Drought Advisory is the first of four stages of drought defined in the Connecticut Drought Response and Preparedness Plan. A decision to issue a Drought Advisory is based on an assessment of indicator data monitored by state and federal agencies, including precipitation, surface waters, groundwater, reservoirs, soil moisture, vegetation and fire danger conditions.