Following Significant Upstate Rainfall, Mayor Adams Downgrades City Drought Posture From Warning to Watch

December 16, 2024

Significant Rainfall in Watershed and Melting Snowpack in Mountain Regions Greatly Improved Reservoir Storage Levels    

Pausing $2 Billion Delaware Aqueduct Repair Project Enabled DEP to Optimize Flow, Enhance Water Supply Flexibility to Meet City Water Demands 

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala today downgraded the city’s drought warning to a drought watch. Significant rainfall and melting snowpack in the city’s upstate watershed have significantly replenished reservoir levels, decreasing the risk of a water shortage. Additionally, the temporary pause of the $2 billion Delaware Aqueduct repair project has restored flow from four critical reservoirs and enhanced water supply flexibility to meet the city's water demands. As a result of all of these factors, Mayor Adams has downgraded the drought warning and water-saving measures previously implemented by city agencies. Additionally, last week, Mayor Adams lifted the temporary citywide ban on open flames and fireworks following recent rainfall in the five boroughs. 

“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,” said Mayor Adams. “If conditions continue, we hope that, in the coming weeks, we will be able to rescind the watch as well. However, it’s a good reminder of the kind of world climate change is creating: a world with more extreme weather events and more dangerous impacts. We’ll continue doing everything we can to secure our water supply, guard against the impacts of a warming world, and keep New Yorkers safe.” 

“New Yorkers and our fellow city agencies have shown remarkable resilience and commitment to conserving water during these unprecedented conditions. Thanks to significant rainfall, melting snowpack, conservation efforts, and strategic adjustments to our infrastructure projects, we’re able to lift the drought warning,” said New York City Chief Climate Officer and DEP Commissioner Aggarwala. “As we confront a changing climate, we need to use our natural resources more wisely. Continuing to practice water conservation is a sustainable habit valuable even outside times of drought.” 

Mayor Adams and Commissioner Aggarwala first issued a drought watch back on November 2, as the city was experiencing the driest spell in recorded history. They upgraded the drought watch to a drought warning on November 18. The historic lack of precipitation led to unprecedented challenges, including brush fires within the city and the watershed. The long-lasting lack of precipitation led DEP to take extraordinary steps to safeguard the city’s water supply.  

New York City’s complex reservoir system is extraordinarily robust and was designed for resilience, capable of operating effectively even at below-average levels. In addition to the much-needed recent wet weather in the watershed, an analysis of weather patterns indicate consistent precipitation in the forecast, ensuring reservoir levels will continue to rise. Reopening the Delaware Aqueduct, the world’s longest tunnel of any kind, has allowed DEP to optimize flow with this recent influx of rainwater. With all three reservoir systems — the Delaware, the Croton, and the Catskill — now fully operational, DEP has increased flexibility to meet the city's water needs. 

Map of New York City’s water supply. Credit: DEP 

When the city decided to move forward with the final phase of the Delaware Aqueduct repair project this year, weather models had predicted a wetter-than-usual fall. The final phase involves connecting a 2.5-mile bypass tunnel near Newburgh to prevent a decades-old, 35-million-gallon a day leak under the Hudson River. In order to initiate that last portion of work, DEP stopped the flow of water from the four reservoirs that feed into the Delaware Aqueduct and increased the city’s reliance on the Croton and Catskill systems. DEP also completed significant capital projects to prepare for this phase, including increasing the Catskill Aqueduct’s capacity, upgrading infrastructure across the watershed, and more. 

Although contingency plans showed the project able to be successfully completed even if rainfall was well below average, the historic dry spell forced DEP to pause the project last month. The lack of rain upstate meant that water reserves across all reservoirs were not where they needed to be to complete the project in the spring. Pausing the project allowed DEP to protect the long-term health of the water supply while continuing to provide New Yorkers with the best drinking water in the world. DEP is optimistic that work will resume on this critical repair next fall. 

New York City has been successful in conserving water for decades. The city's average daily water demand has decreased by approximately 35 percent over the past several decades, even as the city's population has grown by more than 1 million people. During its peak, in 1979, the city's average water usage was 1.5 billion gallons of water a day. Thanks to improved management strategies — systemwide leak detection and repairs, replacing old meters with automated meter readers, and providing an online platform for customers to track and monitor water usage and quickly detect leaks in their buildings — the city now uses just 1.1 billion gallons a day on average, and under 1 billion gallons during the winter months. 

DEP manages the nation's largest municipal water supply system, which provides high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.3 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels, and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs. 

New Yorkers should continue to minimize water usage where possible, and Mayor Adams reminded New Yorkers of the following ways they can conserve:  

• Report open fire hydrants and street leaks to 311. An open hydrant can release more than 1,000 gallons per minute, which wastes 1.4 million gallons of drinking water in a 24-hour cycle.    
• Don't flush the toilet unnecessarily. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), toilets are by far the main source of water use in a home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home's indoor water consumption. Each flush can use 1.6 gallons, with older models using as much as six gallons.    
• Take shorter showers, saving five to seven gallons a minute. When taking a bath, fill the tub only halfway and save 10 to 15 gallons.    
• Don't run the tap while shaving, washing hands, or brushing teeth. Faucets use two to three gallons per minute.    
• Fix leaks. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year, according to the EPA.    
• Run the dishwasher and washing machine only when full. Use short cycles if available. Turn off the water while washing dishes.    
• Install water-saving fixtures, including low-flow toilets and showerheads, as well as faucet aerators.    
• Sweep driveways and sidewalks clean rather than washing them down with a hose.    
• For even more ideas, visit DEP's Water Savings Tips website.