NYC issues first drought warning in 22 years, pauses aqueduct repairs

New York City on Monday issued its first drought warning in 22 years after months of little rain -- and will restart the flow of drinking water from an out-of-service aqueduct as supplies run low.

Dry conditions across the northeast have been blamed for hundreds of brush fires. They had already prompted New York City and state officials to implement water-conservation protocols when Mayor Eric Adams upgraded the drought warning and temporarily halted a $2 billion aqueduct repair project that had stopped drinking water from flowing from some reservoirs in the Catskill region.

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.

"New Yorkers should not under estimate the dry weather and what it means," Adams said at a news conference, noting the recent fires. "The fire risk is high and the fire risk is real."  The city may elevate the warning to an emergency if dry conditions persist. 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, the mayor 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.

At the same time on Monday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statewide drought watch and elevated 15 counties to drought warning status, asking residents to conserve water whenever possible.

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 137 kilometres 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.

The last drought warning in New York City was issued in January 2002.