Officials at the Suffolk County Water Authority are issuing an urgent request to residents on the East End, particularly in East Hampton, to immediately reduce water usage. Water demand is approaching record levels due to severe drought conditions and a forecasted heat wave.
Compounding the strain of the dry weather, SCWA currently has two public water supply wells offline in East Hampton and two additional wells operating on emergency protocol only. The loss of these two offline wells removes 8% of the total water production capacity in the area, significantly hindering the ability to meet peak summer demand. With high overnight and early morning water use driven by irrigation systems, water storage tanks are beginning the day at low levels and require more time to refill. Low tank levels reduce system pressure, which lowers water flow to homes and limits water availability for fire protection.
SCWA is collaborating with Suffolk County to ensure that water pressure is maintained ahead of the holiday weekend.
“As we face extreme heat and dry conditions, I urge all East End residents to conserve water whenever possible," said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. "Simple steps taken today will help protect our water supply and ensure this vital resource remains available for our communities throughout the summer.”
SCWA is asking residents to only water their lawns if absolutely necessary and to take practical steps to conserve water indoors. If lawn watering is essential, customers must strictly adhere to 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.
“We are dealing with a double-edged sword right now: unprecedented early-season demand and a temporarily restricted supply on the South Fork,” said SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz. “With crucial wells restricted or offline, we cannot afford any wasted water. If residents don't scale back immediately, we risk severe pressure drops that put localized fire protection at risk.”
“Our infrastructure is under intense pressure, and keeping the system balanced requires the community’s active help,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “We are working tirelessly to manage our local capacity, but we need East Hampton residents to go beyond the baseline. Please skip unnecessary watering and look for ways to cut back indoors so we can ensure reliable service for everyone.”
East Hampton Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez added, “East Hampton is being asked to pull together right now. I am imploring residents, businesses, and visitors to skip lawn watering unless it is absolutely necessary, follow the odd-even schedule, and avoid watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. The Town is doing its part by cutting back on outdoor water use at our facilities, and we are grateful to the Suffolk County Water Authority and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine for working with us to protect public safety, and fire protection through the holiday weekend.”
For details and indoor and outdoor 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.