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.
