HARRISBURG - State environmental officials have lifted drought warnings in 46 Pennsylvania counties because of recent rains.

However, in Butler County, a drought watch continues.

The state Department of Environmental Protection said today that the counties that had been under the warnings were primarily in central and eastern Pennsylvania. In Western Pennsylvania, the state said 21 counties, including Butler, either remain in or were reclassified to the status of drought watch.

Officials say rains in September from the remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole helped to ease drought conditions in much of the state.

A drought watch calls for voluntary reductions in non-essential water use. A drought warning means conditions are more severe and require increased reductions.

The following Western Pennsylvania counties remain in drought watch status: Armstrong, Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Indiana, Jefferson, McKean, Venango, Warren and Westmoreland.

DEP upgraded the following counties from drought warning to drought watch status: Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Mercer, Somerset and Washington.

A drought watch declaration is the first and least severe of the state’s three drought classifications. It calls for a voluntary 5 percent reduction in non-essential water use. The next stage, a drought warning, calls for a voluntary reduction of 10 percent to 15 percent.