Although NYC is still under a drought warning, the first in 22 years, restrictions are easing. As of December 9th, Mayor Eric Adams lifted the fireworks and grilling ban across NYC.
That doesn’t necessarily mean we’re back to normal. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said we’d need to receive roughly 10-11 inches of rain (the average is usually 4) in order to end the drought warning before the end of the year. Mayor Eric Adams echoed this by stating we need roughly a foot of water to restore the city’s reservoirs, which are currently at roughly 60% capacity, back to normal.
“[W]e need you to use the utmost levels of caution to prevent fires and keep our parks safe,” Mayor Adams said in a statement. “And the rain we’ve received isn’t nearly the additional foot of rain we’d need to replenish our upstate reservoirs, so we need all New Yorkers to continue conserving water whenever you can.”
This ban caused the New Year’s Eve fireworks in NYC parks to be cancelled, and Prospect Park is replacing its annual spectacular with a drone show. Should things change before the celebrations, we will keep you informed. All in all, we should still exercise the same caution we did earlier on in the season by limiting our time in the shower, reducing the number of times we flush the toilet, don’t run the faucets when it’s unnecessary, etc.
As more information develops, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.