New York City on Monday issued its first drought warning in 22 years and paused major repairs to its main water aqueduct out of concern for the lack of rainfall. Dry conditions across the Northeast have been blamed for hundreds of brush fires.

The mayor 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. 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.

New York Mayor Eric Adams on Monday issued the first drought warning since 2002 amid historically low rainfall and blazing brush fires.

New York City is instituting a drought warning, Mayor Eric Adams announced Monday. The Big Apple had previously been under a drought watch​.

They had already prompted New York City and state officials to implement water-conservation protocols when Mayor Eric Adams upgraded the drought warning and temporarily halted a $2 billion aqueduct repair project that had stopped drinking water from flowing from some reservoirs in the Catskill region.

A drought warning was issued in New York City on Monday, the first in more than two decades, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams declared a drought warning Monday — and halted a major aqueduct repair project to preserve the city’s waters supply — as New York City faces the threat of severe water shortages. Adams also directed city agencies to roll back water usage and urged New Yorkers to voluntarily do the same amid the historic rainfall shortage and dwindling water reserves.