The results from a new survey show that customers of the Suffolk County Watery Authority overwhelmingly approve of the service provided by the utility. The survey was conducted by the independent market and opinion research firm Probolsky Research. Customers were asked to provide feedback on subjects such as customer service, water quality and other views on their drinking water. Approximately 73 percent of respondents indicated that they overall approve of their water service, a strong result that reflects the SCWA’s long standing commitment to providing positive customer experiences.
"We are humbled by the overwhelmingly positive response from our customers," said Charles Lefkowitz, Chairman of the Suffolk County Water Authority. "These survey results reflect the tireless efforts of our employees and the commitment of the Authority to surpassing the expectations of our customers. That won’t stop us from improving, though, and this survey gives us the roadmap to follow to bring those satisfaction levels even higher.”
SCWA says that 70 percent of residents approve of the Authority’s customer service and 72 percent are happy with the quality of their water. Notably, a majority of residents indicated that they feel that the cost of their bill is appropriate. Additionally, respondents also strongly approved of SCWA tiered rate structure, a system implemented in 2020 that incentivizes water conservation by charging a higher rate for water use over 89,000 gallons per quarter. More than two-thirds of residents support the SCWA’s $20 quarterly water treatment charge to all customers that goes toward the removal of PFAS and 1,4-dioxane in groundwater.
“Any time you see approval numbers above 50% you know you are doing something right, but to see ratings above 70% reflects a really strong performance from the Suffolk County Water Authority,” said Adam Probolsky, President of Probolsky Research. “Customers of SCWA give them great marks in customer service, water quality and with their rates. You don’t always see that with utilities, so customers are responding well to the work they are doing.”
The survey was conducted using a statistically-significant sample of customers to gauge feelings towards key aspects of SCWA’s operations. To take these customer feedback efforts even further, the SCWA is now undertaking transactional surveys with customers who come into contact with Authority staff members. This will help the SCWA further identify trends and make continuous improvements to its services.
“This survey was important for us because it provided unbiased information about our services as well as an opportunity to learn more about our performance from those who rely on us,” said SCWA CEO Jeffrey Szabo. “We are tremendously proud of the positive response we received from the customers who participated. We look forward to further surveying the feelings of our customers and developing even more strategies to keep their satisfaction levels up.”
About the Suffolk County Water Authority
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.