New York issues first drought warning in 22 years as dry conditions persist

City also pauses major repairs to aqueduct as residents and local agencies ordered to cut down on water usage

New York City on Monday issued its first drought warning in 22 years and paused major repairs to its main water aqueduct out of concern for the lack of rainfall.

Dry conditions across the north-east have been blamed for hundreds of brush fires. They had already prompted New York and state officials to implement water-conservation protocols when Mayor Eric Adams upgraded the drought warning and temporarily halted the $2bn Delaware aqueduct project, which was intended to repair leaks in the 80-year-old tunnel.

Last week, a park on the northern tip of Manhattan caught fire, sending smoke billowing across the city – less than a week after a brush fire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park.

The city may elevate the warning to an emergency if dry conditions persist, Adams said. A drought emergency involves requiring residents and city agencies to cut down on water usage. Upgrading from a watch to a warning requires a range of conservation protocols, Adams said.

Water-saving measures planned for the coming weeks will include washing buses and subway cars less frequently and limiting water use for fountains and golf courses, Adams said.

“Our city vehicles may look a bit dirtier, and our subways may look a bit dustier, but it’s what we have to do to delay or stave off a more serious drought emergency,” he said.

The shut-off of a stretch of the Delaware aqueduct to address leaks had been in the works for years.

The aqueduct carries water for 85 miles (137km) from four reservoirs in the Catskill region to other reservoirs in the city’s northern suburbs.

A portion of the aqueduct was shut off in early October but will now be turned back on because water levels across the city’s reservoir system are too low to make up the difference, officials with the city department of environmental protection said.

Cover photo: By The Guardian