The mayor of New YorkEric Adams, issued a press release on Monday, which drought warning in the city – the first since 2002 – due to low rainfall, and has announced a series of water-saving measures such as the temporary suspension of repairs to its main aqueduct.
Last November 2, Adams already urged city agencies to follow drought protocols and asked New Yorkers to continue to save water in the face of the city’s historic and ongoing precipitation shortage, according to a statement.
In recent weeks, arid conditions in the Northeast have caused several wildfires, some of them in city parks.
The main measure of the Mayor’s Office will be. temporary suspension of repairs to the Delaware Aqueduct.which spans some 138 miles and carries half of the water supply from the Catskill Mountains (in the northern part of the state) to the city.
The final phase of the repair project boasted a $2 billion investment – making it the largest infrastructure work in the history of the city’s Department of Environmental Protection – and would have prevented 35 million gallons of drinking water from leaking into the ground every day in the Upstate.
Water for 10 million residents
According to the statement, this department, which provides high quality drinking water to nearly 10 million residents each day – 8.3 million of them in New York City – will work to restart the project next year.
As conditions evolve, the city could declare a drought emergency, which means greater requirements for government agencies and New Yorkers to reduce water use.
“We need New Yorkers to continue to save water so we can water our parks and fill our pools next summer. New Yorkers always look out for each other. We are resilient and together we will get through this,” Adams noted.
To cope with the shortage of rainfall the Department of Cleanup will suspend the washing of the streets and its vehicles.while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, police and firefighters will close illegally opened hydrants and reduce vehicle washing.
In addition, pipe repairs will be made to prevent water loss, and schools will conduct a water conservation awareness program.