Citing more than a year of below-average precipitation and worsening water-supply conditions, the Murphy administration on Friday issued a statewide Drought Warning and called on New Jersey residents and businesses to immediately reduce water consumption.
The directive, signed by Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, elevates New Jersey’s drought status from a Drought Watch—first declared on Oct. 1—to a formal warning. While no mandatory restrictions are in place, the designation gives the DEP expanded authority to manage water systems, coordinate transfers among water suppliers, and regulate reservoir releases to stabilize regional supplies.
“The Department of Environmental Protection is closely monitoring drought indicators and water supplies to ensure we have enough water across the state,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “While there are currently no mandatory restrictions in place, it is up to each of us to take precautions now and do our part.”
LaTourette said the prolonged precipitation deficit and water-supply volatility reflect broader climate-change impacts already affecting New Jersey. “We ask residents, businesses, and partners in local government to join us in spreading the urgency of the need to conserve water,” he said.
State officials say New Jersey has seen a significant precipitation shortfall over the past 15 months, with only two months registering above-average rainfall. Although May 2025 delivered record rain that temporarily boosted reservoir levels, conditions quickly deteriorated again.
“May was a ‘drought buster,’ but it wasn’t enough to erase long-term deficits,” said State Climatologist Dave Robinson.
Nearly every drought indicator tracked by the state—including shallow groundwater, stream flows, and reservoir levels—now shows severe or extreme dryness.
In the Northeast, New Jersey’s most densely populated region and the one most reliant on reservoir systems, storage levels have dropped to 48% capacity—far below the seasonal norm of roughly 72%. Several major systems serving Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Passaic counties are performing even worse.
The Central and Coastal North regions are experiencing milder but still significant deficits, with reservoir levels roughly 7 to 10 percentage points below normal. South Jersey, which relies heavily on groundwater, is showing “extremely dry” conditions across several indicators.
The Administrative Order issued Friday allows the DEP to take a far more active role in balancing regional water supplies. That may include:
- Directing transfers of water between interconnected systems
- Controlling reservoir releases
- Adjusting stream-flow requirements to protect ecological needs while preserving drinking-water storage
DEP officials said these tools may be necessary if winter precipitation remains low and customer demand stays elevated.
While the state stopped short of imposing restrictions, officials strongly encouraged residents to take immediate conservation steps, including running dishwashers only when full, winterizing irrigation systems, fixing leaks, insulating pipes, and replacing older fixtures with low-flow models.
The DEP also urged homeowners to prepare for spring by choosing drought-tolerant grasses and native plants that require less watering.
Regional Breakdown
Northeast: Reservoirs at 48% of capacity; several systems at or below levels seen during last year’s drought period.
Central: Reservoirs at 79%, below the 89% seasonal norm.
Coastal North: Reservoirs at 79%, versus a typical 86%.
Northwest: Groundwater and stream flows classified as severely to extremely dry.
Southwest: Groundwater extremely dry; stream flows and rainfall severely dry.
Coastal South: Groundwater and stream flows extremely dry; rainfall moderately dry.
A Drought Emergency—triggering mandatory restrictions—remains a possibility if conditions worsen. The DEP said it will continue coordinating with water suppliers and monitoring reservoir and groundwater trends through the winter.
More information on current drought status and conservation guidance is available at njdrought.org and dep.nj.gov/conserve-water.