The Suffolk County Water Authority is issuing a Stage 1 Water Alert for all customers in the towns of Southold, Shelter Island, Southampton and East Hampton. Despite rains last week, Suffolk County remains in a moderate drought. Portions of the county, particularly on the East End and Huntington, are experiencing severe drought conditions.
SCWA set a pumpage record in June, withdrawing 11.15 billion gallons of water across its entire system. Furthermore, SCWA nearly exceeded its peak pumpage per minute record by reaching 540,000 gallons per minute (gpm) during peak times.
SCWA reports high water infrastructure demand during overnight and early morning hours from irrigation systems. As a result, water storage tanks begin the day at low levels and require more time to refill. These tanks maintain required water pressure across the distribution network. Low tank levels reduce system pressure, which can lower flow to homes and limit water availability for fire protection. With production facilities operating at capacity, no additional infrastructure is available to meet this demand.
“The combination of regional drought and record pumpage requires an immediate response,” said SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz. “We need all customers on the East End to adhere to water use restrictions so we can maintain pressure for fire protection.”
Under the Stage 1 Water Alert, SCWA requests that customers refrain from lawn watering unless absolutely necessary. If customers do water, they must adhere to the odd/even schedule for watering their lawns:
- Odd-numbered street addresses may water only on odd-numbered calendar days.
- Even-numbered street addresses may water only on even-numbered calendar days.
- No lawn watering is permitted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“Our crews are working to maintain system pressure, but conservation is a shared responsibility,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “Unchecked demand risks pressure drops that affect public safety and firefighting capabilities.”
Water storage tanks maintain required water pressure across the public water distribution network. The weight of the water in the tanks creates the pressure that pushes water through water mains. When tank levels drop too low, that pressure drops as well, which can lower flow to homes. Furthermore, these tanks function as a reserve supply for SCWA during periods of urgent need. In the event of a fire, low tank levels mean emergency services may not have the water they need to respond.
For details and water-saving methods, visit www.scwa.com/conservation.