Customers of the Suffolk County Water Authority give the drinking water provider high marks for performance in water quality, customer service and overall performance. The survey was conducted by the independent market and opinion research firm Probolsky Research between April 11th and 21st. The results show that 74.5% of respondents approved of the service that SCWA provides, a slight increase from a similar survey conducted in 2023. That survey had 73.3% of respondents saying they approved of SCWA’s service.
“It’s rewarding that the hard work SCWA does every day is appreciated by our customers,” said Charles Lefkowitz, Chairman of the Suffolk County Water Authority. “Having the trust of our customers is paramount to SCWA’s mission. We’re excited and motivated to continue the work that got us to where we are today.”
The survey showed similarly high results in other areas. A majority of respondents believe that their water bill is appropriate or lower than they expected for the level of service they receive. 78% of those surveyed say that they are satisfied with SCWA’s customer service, a six-point increase from a year ago, and 75% are satisfied with the quality of the water they receive, a five-point jump from last year.
“This survey gives us valuable insight into the attitudes of our customers,” said SCWA CEO Jeffrey Szabo. “We are very pleased with the positive response from the customers, but it also lets us know what they are concerned about. Microplastics, PFAS and water conservation were all on the minds of the respondents. In some places, where we are already doing considerable work, like treating for PFAS, it’s about education and in other cases it lets us know what we need to focus on. That feedback makes us better and we look forward to even better results in the years to come.”
Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research, reflected on the results, stating “Water utilities have a hard job because there is so much information in the news that can be concerning. When people only hear about the problems and not the solutions they are implementing, it can really skew perceptions. That isn’t the case here though. Customers of SCWA recognize the great job they are doing and that is reflected in these results.”
Other Important Highlights
- 72% say they support SCWA’s water quality treatment charge that helps pay for advanced treatment to remove PFAS and 1,4-dioxane from water.
- 65% say they are happy with the level of communication they get from SCWA, a large increase from a year ago.
- 71% agree that SCWA is a pro-environment organization that is working to preserve natural resources.
- 68% say that they would prefer to change their behavior to use less water rather than paying for additional infrastructure to support high summer demand.
- 54% say that they trust that the information that SCWA is providing them is accurate.
About SCWA:
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.