New York City has declared its first drought warning in over two decades, taking action due to the concerning lack of rainfall that has affected the region. The city has also decided to pause significant repairs to its main water supply aqueduct, opting to reassess the situation in light of these dry conditions.

Officials have linked the ongoing arid weather patterns in the Northeast to an increase in brush fires, which have impacted various areas. Responding to the dry state of affairs, both city and state leaders had already begun to implement measures aimed at conserving water. In a recent announcement, Mayor Eric Adams elevated the situation from a watch to a warning, leading to a temporary halt on the extensive $2 billion repair project for the Delaware Aqueduct—a crucial structure that has been operational for 80 years and is currently experiencing leaks.

Last week, fire incidents included a blaze at a northern Manhattan park that sent plumes of smoke throughout the city, following closely after a fire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Mayor Adams indicated that if the dry weather persists, the city may need to escalate the warning to a formal drought emergency, which would impose restrictions on water usage for both residents and city agencies. The transition from a watch to a warning necessitates the implementation of various water conservation strategies.

In the effort to conserve water, the city plans to adopt measures over the upcoming weeks such as reducing the frequency of washing city buses and subway trains, as well as curtailing water usage in public fountains and on golf courses. “While our city vehicles might appear somewhat less clean and our subway stations may have a bit more dust, it’s a necessary sacrifice to postpone or prevent a more serious drought emergency,” Adams remarked.

The plans to shut off part of the Delaware Aqueduct to fix the leaks had been under consideration for several years. This aqueduct is critical, transporting water over 85 miles from several reservoirs located in the Catskill Mountains to the northern suburbs of New York City. A section of the aqueduct had been closed at the start of October, but it will now be reopened because water levels in the city’s reservoir system have dropped too low to compensate for the repair work, according to officials from the Department of Environmental Protection.