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SCWA: Southold public water use sets record

Although the heat wave is over, public water usage hit an all-time high of 8,790 gallons per minute in Southold Town Monday morning, a Suffolk County Water Authority spokesperson said.

The water authority set a county-wide record on Friday, pumping 533,000 gallons per minute, besting last July’s record of 523,400 gallons per minute.

The SCWA, which provides public drinking water to nearly 1.2 million people in Suffolk, said it has a sufficient water supply, but is urging customers to use it prudently.

“The recent heat wave boosted our pumping figures significantly this month after a fairly quiet June, due to heavy rains,” said Jeff Szabo, the authority’s CEO. “We have taken all necessary measures to make sure that our infrastructure is capable of continuing to deliver a sufficient drinking water supply for our customers, even during the current heat wave.”

Peak usage hours are between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. and are primarily due to the widespread use of timed lawn water systems, according to the authority.

The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of New York State.