The Suffolk County Water Authority has completed a water main replacement project in Shirley, replacing approximately 4,880 feet of aging transite water main with new ductile iron water main along Chanel Drive East and President Road. The project improves the reliability of the water distribution system and helps ensure continued delivery of high-quality drinking water to customers.
“Replacing aging infrastructure before it fails is one of the best ways we can continue providing reliable water service to our customers,” said SCWA CEO Jeff Szabo. “Projects like this strengthen our system, reduce the likelihood of future water main breaks, and reflect our continued investment in Suffolk County’s water infrastructure.”
The project targeted existing transite pipes. Transite, an asbestos-cement composite, becomes brittle and loses structural integrity over time, making it susceptible to breaks caused by soil shifts and temperature fluctuations. To address this vulnerability, SCWA installed ductile iron water mains. Ductile iron possesses higher tensile strength and flexes under environmental stress without fracturing, which reduces the frequency of pipe failures and stabilizes water distribution.
SCWA proactively replaces aging water mains throughout its service area each year to improve system reliability and better serve its more than 1.2 million customers.
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.