What New York City’s drought warning means for residents

New York City on Monday instituted a drought warning for the first time in 22 years, as brush fires strike within city limits and drinking water supplies run low.

The new measure is because of both unusually high temperatures and an unprecedented lack of rainfall, which is now forecast to continue for weeks.

The conditions contributed to brush fires in the city in the previous weeks, including in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and in northern Manhattan.

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New York City uses some 1.1 billion gallons of water per day, drawn from a system of lakes, reservoirs and aqueducts that extend more than 100 miles beyond city limits. That system is now only about 63% full, officials say. The region would need to see some eight inches of rainfall to regain lost reserves.

New York City municipal services are switching to drought protocols that will reduce their water use, and city officials are urging residents to cut back on shower and faucet run times.

“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,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We need New Yorkers to continue to save water too, so we can water our parks and fill our pools this coming summer.”

New York will pause a repair project on the Delaware Aqueduct, reopening it with the work still incomplete so it can deliver more water from upstate reservoirs.

Officials say the work will restart next year.