The Suffolk County Water Authority has rescinded the Stage 1 Water Alert for customers in the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. The alert remains in effect for customers in Southold.
SCWA recorded peak pumpage in June and early July, stressing the water distribution system. Late July rainfall decreased customer water demand. Reduced lawn irrigation has improved storage tank levels in Southampton and East Hampton during the early morning hours, allowing operating pressure to remain steady.
The alert continues in Southold because North Fork water storage tanks continue reaching low levels during peak morning hours despite the rain. Tank levels dictate system pressure, which affects residential water flow and fire protection reserves.
“Decreased demand following the rain allowed our infrastructure to stabilize in most East End towns,” said SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz. “The situation in Southold remains difficult with customer demand still outstripping our pumping capacity. Despite the recent rain, our tank levels are still too close for comfort.”
Southold customers must continue following the Stage 1 Water Alert restrictions and refrain from lawn watering unless necessary. If they must water, they should strictly follow the odd/even schedule:
- 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.
“Conservation in Southold is necessary to prevent pressure drops,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “System stability depends on customers limiting early morning irrigation. We need to ensure that we have water reserves in case of a fire emergency.”
For details and water-saving methods, visit www.scwa.com/conservation.
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.