The Suffolk County Water Authority is warning all customers that water usage remains at dangerously high levels as hot, dry weather continues across Suffolk County. Peak demand has reached 520,000 gallons per minute multiple times this summer, pushing the system to its limits.
SCWA has experienced several consecutive weeks of high water use during the overnight hours and early morning when irrigations systems are typically in use. When this occurs the water storage tanks in several areas start the day at low levels and are taking longer than expected to recover. These tanks are critical to keeping water pressure at required limits across the system. The weight of the water in the tanks creates the pressure that pushes water through the distribution network. When tank levels drop too low, that pressure drops as well—meaning homes and businesses may see reduced flow, and in the event of a fire, emergency services may not have the water they need to respond.
With every SCWA well, pump and treatment facility operating at full capacity, there is no remaining infrastructure to meet this high demand.
“Unfortunately, not enough of our customers have been cutting back on their water use,” said SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz. “If this continues, we’ll see more drops in water pressure, and our ability to respond to emergencies like fires will be at risk.”
The Stage 1 Water Alert, first issued on July 23rd, remains in effect for all SCWA customers, including residences, businesses and golf courses. SCWA is imploring customers to refrain from all lawn watering until further notice. If watering is absolutely necessary, customers must follow the odd/even lawn watering schedule:
- Odd-numbered street addresses water only on odd-numbered calendar days
- Even-numbered street addresses water only on even-numbered calendar days
- No lawn watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
“Our crews are doing everything possible to keep water flowing, but this is a shared responsibility,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “If customers don’t take these restrictions seriously, we risk widespread pressure drops that could leave firefighters without the water they need in an emergency. This is all about public safety.”
The long-term forecast continues to call for hot, dry conditions, meaning demand will remain high unless customers take the restrictions seriously.
For more information and water-saving tips, visit www.scwa.com/conservation or call SCWA Customer Service at (631) 698-9500.
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.