A recent media report cited lead levels in water at several Suffolk County school districts within the Suffolk County Water Authority service territory. In response, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo issued the following statement:
“In October 2024, the Suffolk County Water Authority completed a comprehensive inventory of its entire distribution system, which includes roughly 400,000 service connections, as required by federal rules. That inventory identified 15 lead service lines—a tiny fraction of our system—none of which were located at any Suffolk County schools. All 15 of those lines were replaced in 2024.
It’s important to be clear: SCWA’s public water supply does not contain lead. Any detections of lead during school testing come from internal plumbing, fixtures or service lines inside the school buildings themselves, not from SCWA’s distribution system. SCWA water meets or surpasses all state and federal drinking water standards.”
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.