New York faces historic drought, urges water conservation
New York City Mayor Mike Adams warned on Saturday about the effects of the drought and urged residents to conserve water. In October, only 0.3 mm of rain fell in Central Park.
According to the National Weather Service, October typically brings about 112 mm of rain in New York City. The city’s Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala stated that October was the driest in New York City in over 150 years.
Adams urged New Yorkers to take shorter showers and fix leaking taps. He asked residents to turn off taps while brushing their teeth and to sweep pavements instead of washing them with water. He also called for reporting open hydrants and other street leaks to prevent a greater water shortage in the most populated city in the USA.
"Mother Nature is in charge, so we must adapt," declared the mayor. He instructed city agencies to prepare to implement water-saving plans.
Water usage in New York City
The city of New York uses an average of 4.2 billion litres of water each day, which is about 35 per cent less than in 1979. This decrease is attributed, among other things, to more effective leak detection.
An obstacle in managing water resources is the repair of a large, leaking aqueduct that transports water to the city from the Catskill region. This forces the residents to rely more on reservoirs in the northern suburbs. Only 20 mm of rain fell there last month, which is just about one-fifth of the October average.
