Mayor Adams issues drought watch for NYC after dangerously dry October

Mayor Eric Adams issued a drought watch for New York City Saturday — urging residents to conserve water and ordering municipal agencies to stand at the ready for more restrictive plans amid New York's “driest spell in recent memory.”

The move comes as the National Weather Service has proclaimed October the driest month since it started record-keeping in the late 1800s. Central Park received 0.01 inches of rain in October, the minimum threshold for measurable precipitation, after getting less than two inches of rain the month prior, several inches below the expected rainfall for September.

In a statement, Adams implored residents to conserve water amid the drought watch, the first tier in a monitoring system with the potential to escalate to a drought warning or full-fledged emergency.

“We’re going to do our part as a city as well, which is why I’m ordering our city agencies to update their water conservation plans and prepare to implement them imminently,” Adams said in a statement. “By starting to save water now, we’re doing everything we can to make sure that we can water our parks and fill our pools come summer, and to stave off a more serious drought emergency.”

Camille Joseph Varlack, who serves as the mayor’s chief of staff, said the actions today could offset the need for more “stringent” measures in the future.

“The administration is ready to implement immediate measures across city agencies to conserve water and stands prepared to take further actions if required,” she said in a statement.

The dry conditions come at a tricky time for the city, as it’s undertaking major repairs at the Delaware Aqueduct and, for a few months, won’t have access to one of its biggest water supplies.

Residents are encouraged to take shorter showers and report open fire hydrants to 311 amid the drought watch, in addition to any other water conservation measures outlined by the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.