Drought Emergency in Kingston

Wow. I knew things were dry, but I didn't realize it was this bad:

For the first time in more than 30 years, the city Water Department on Thursday declared a “drought emergency” and issued mandatory restrictions on water use.

Kingston Water Superintendent Judith Hansen said the emergency, the first since 1980, is the result of the city’s Cooper Lake reservoir in Woodstock being just 50 percent full.

The water level in the reservoir is 12 feet below normal, Hansen said. In 1980, it dropped 15 feet, and Hansen said that number could be exceeded if the area doesn’t get significant rainfall in the next two weeks.

Access to fresh, potable water is something we Americans take for granted. Our grandchildren, however, will likely have no such luxury.