It hasn't rained in the city of New York for weeks. The city is experiencing its second longest dry spell since records began. Now people should save water.
On September 27th, New Yorkers received raindrops on their heads for the last time. Now Mayor Eric Adams of the Democrats is calling on everyone to use the scarce resource more sparingly in everyday life: “Mother Nature is in charge, and we now have to deal with the fact that we have received less precipitation and less water.”
A “drought watch” applies. What this essentially means is that we are watching how the drought develops and people should become more aware of the situation. So turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, run a full dishwasher instead of washing up by hand, and have dripping taps and toilets repaired.
These are still purely voluntary measures. How does that work? One man reported that he had fun turning off the water while brushing his teeth. Another passer-by, however, feels caught.
Second longest dry period since records began
Normally there is a good eleven centimeters of precipitation in October, this year not a single millimeter. It was the driest October in more than 150 years and the city is experiencing the second longest dry phase since records began in 1869. What's more, it is still warm in summer. New York City uses an average of 4.2 billion liters of water per day.
Rohit Aggarwala, New York City's environmental commissioner, has often warned of increasing extreme weather such as heavy rain, heat and drought. Aggarwala looks forward to the reservoirs that supply water to more than eight million residents of the city. His statement is unmistakable: “Our reservoirs are about two-thirds full,” he reports. “That's about ten percent less than usual at this time of year. If November remains as dry as predicted, there will be a drought warning in a few weeks, not months.
Two more Escalation levels possible
In the event of a drought warning, the second escalation level, savings plans by the city authorities and institutions would take effect. Further escalation would be a drought emergency with mandatory restrictions. Shops would have to save 15 percent of water, sidewalks would no longer be hosed down, cars would no longer be washed, and gardens would only be watered hourly. Restaurants are also only allowed to serve tap water if specifically requested.
Approximately 7,000 miles of water pipes, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout New York's five boroughs. Unfortunately, one of the pipes has a big leak. And it's supposed to rain maybe half a centimeter in the next few days, but only possibly.
