With most of Connecticut still in a moderate to severe drought, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is calling for voluntary water restrictions across the state.

Malloy said Friday he was asking residents, business and local governments to reduce their water use by 15 percent. The Connecticut Interagency Drought Workshop also issued the state's first-ever drought watch.

"After three years of precipitation shortfalls, we are moving to a drought watch and it would be extremely helpful if residents could be mindful of their water consumption and take sensible steps to help stretch our water supply," Malloy said.

The announcement by Malloy comes after many municipalities have imposed voluntary — or in some case mandatory — water restrictions. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that 88.36 percent of Connecticut was in "severe drought." That measurement was recorded earlier in the week and didn't account for snowfall and rain on Thursday.

Last week state officials issued an amended emergency order to allow for the construction of a temporary pipeline to supply water to four towns in southwestern Connecticut: Greenwich, Stamford, Darien and New Canaan.

The state Department of Public Health has declared public water supply emergencies in those four municipalities as well as Waterbury and Danbury, with the order in Danbury coming this week.

"We have asked all of the state's public water suppliers to review their current drought plans and make any necessary adjustments to their drought triggers," said Raul Pino, commissioner of the Department of Public Health. "While the suppliers are undertaking this review, I strongly encourage individuals, households and businesses throughout Connecticut to similarly review their water usage to determine where they can conserve water."