Governor Kathy Hochul declared a statewide drought watch and elevated 15 counties to drought warning status on Tuesday due to a continued shortage of rainfall and declining levels of streamflow and groundwater. The drought warning covers the following counties: Bronx, Delaware, Dutchess, Greene, Kings, New York, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Schoharie, Sullivan, Ulster, and Westchester.
The decision comes after a period of unseasonably warm weather and scarce precipitation, particularly in the Hudson Valley and New York City area. “Recent unseasonably warm weather and lack of precipitation have led to dry conditions for many counties in New York, resulting in Hudson Valley and New York City area counties being elevated to drought warning status and a statewide drought watch,” Governor Hochul said. “Across the state, local water restrictions and educating New Yorkers about how to help conserve water resources are crucial steps to help prevent a more severe shortage until conditions improve.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala elevated the citywide drought watch to a drought warning and paused the final phase of DEP’s largest ever infrastructure repair project – the $2 billion Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project – amid a historic and continued precipitation shortage. As such, Mayor Adams ordered city agencies to implement a range of drought protocols to conserve water and reminded New Yorkers to continue to do their part in saving water wherever possible. Pausing the repair project will allow the city to reopen the aqueduct soon, restarting the flow of water from four additional reservoirs. Conserving water will slow the depletion rate of the stored water in city reservoirs and can potentially postpone or eliminate the threat of a serious shortage. Mayor Adams and Commissioner Aggarwala first issued a drought watch back on November 2.
“As our city and watershed continues to experience significant precipitation shortages, today, I’m upgrading our drought watch to a drought warning, pausing our Delaware Aqueduct repair project, and ordering our agencies to immediately implement water saving measures,” said Mayor Adams. “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. We need New Yorkers to continue to save water too, so we can water our parks and fill our pools this coming summer. New Yorkers always look out for each other. We are resilient and we will get through this together.”
The drought warning signals a heightened level of concern, prompting local water suppliers and industries to activate their drought contingency plans. The state encourages residents to take precautionary measures such as reducing outdoor water use, fixing leaks, and installing water-saving appliances.
The ongoing dry spell also elevates wildfire risk across the state, prompting Governor Hochul to announce a statewide burn ban on Tuesday.