Drought Warning Declared In NYC: Here's What You Need To Know

NEW YORK CITY — New York City Mayor Eric Adams declared a citywide drought warning on Monday afternoon, amid a record number of days without measurable rain.

This announcement has made water-conserving protocols in city government agencies mandatory, Adams said.

Though there are no mandatory restrictions on individual New Yorkers, the city is urging its residents to voluntarily decrease their water use by fixing running toilets, taking shorter showers, reporting leaking fire hydrants, and turning off the tap when brushing their teeth.

A warning is the second of three levels of drought advisories — they escalate in severity from a drought watch to a warning, and finally to an emergency.

The warning was issued to the city and 10 other New York counties, all of which have been under a drought watch since Nov. 2.

"I'm ordering our agencies to immediately implement water-saving measures," Adams said. "Our city vehicles may look a little dirtier, but if we take small steps, we could have a major impact."

Complicating the issue, the city was repairing a leaking aqueduct that brings water from the Catskills to the city, so residents were relying on the reservoirs in the city's suburbs more than usual.

But, Adams announced on Monday that the city will pause that project to ensure that New Yorkers can use that water.

"While we cannot make it rain, we can take action to reduce the risk of drought emergency in our city," Adams said.

There is some good news: Forecasters say there's a 90 percent chance of rain on Wednesday night, which, while it wouldn't alleviate the water shortage or end the drought, it would wash off some of the city's accumulated grime, and drench the city's parks, which keep catching on fire due to the lack of moisture.

The FDNY also launched a task force dedicated to fighting the increasing brush fires on Monday.

To see the full forecast for this week, click here.

To learn about how to conserve water in your home, click here.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.