New York City recently issued a drought warning in 22 years as the Northeast grapples with severe dry conditions.
As per NBC News, considering these conditions, the city also temporarily halted major repairs to its main $2bn Delaware aqueduct project which was meant to fix leaks in the 80-year-old tunnel due to concern over the lack of rainfall.
Officials stated that halting the project will stop a 35-million gallon daily leak and repairs will resume “as soon as possible.”
Dry conditions have been responsible for hundreds of brush fires during a record-dry autumn.
Mayor Eric Adams and the city’s Department of Environmental Protection raised the drought watch issued on November 2, citing the city’s longest period without rain in recorded history as the last drought warning was issued in 2002.
Adams said in a news conference, “It’s hard to believe that we’d be talking about brush fires and droughts in New York City,”
He added, “Our reservoirs are nowhere near where they should be, and our city and watershed continues to experience significant precipitation shortages.”
The mayor also instructed city agencies to adopt water-conservation protocols, including limiting fleet washing of trains and buses, halting street flushing and locating and repairing leaks at city facilities.
In the meantime, New Yorkers are also urged to conserve water by taking shorter showers and fixing any leaky taps.
Officials stated that New York City’s water supply now needs 8 inches of rain to return to normal levels.
