The Drought Warning In NYC Is Over, Mayor Adams Says

NEW YORK CITY — The city's first drought warning in 22 years is over, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said on Monday.

However, the city is still under a drought watch because the reservoirs are less full than usual, Adams said.

The reservoirs are at 68.2 percent capacity, as opposed to the 82.8 percent capacity typical of this time of year, according to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection.

The drought warning is over due to frequent rain and snow near the reservoirs in the past two weeks, as well as a pause on the repair project in a Catskills aqueduct, which was leaking millions of gallons of water, Adams said.

“Thanks to recent precipitation and melting snowfall upstate, in addition to our decision to pause the Delaware Aqueduct repair project, we’re in a much better place than we were a few weeks ago, allowing us to downgrade our drought warning to a drought watch,” Adams said.

Though the past few weeks have been rainier than usual, the areas upstate where the reservoirs are located still have a rain deficit of a little more than three inches, during an unusually dry September and October, according to the city.

The drought watch was first declared on Nov. 2, and then elevated to a drought warning on Nov. 18, after an unusually dry fall, Patch previously reported.

Though the drought warning has now been decreased to a drought watch, New Yorkers are still encouraged to save water in their daily lives by shortening showers, reporting leaking hydrants, and fixing leaking toilets and faucets, Adams said.

“If conditions continue, we hope that, in the coming weeks, we will be able to rescind the watch as well," Adams said.

This is a developing story and may be updated. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.