Southold residents urged to conserve water usage
Although several days of rain are predicted for the next week, the Suffolk County Water Authority said a Stage 1 Water Alert may be declared for Southold, according to a July 7 notification received by the town. If enacted, this would prohibit all non-essential water use within the town, including lawn irrigation, to ensure water is available for emergencies and other priority uses.
“We’ve known for some time that the activity with the biggest impact on water pressure and quantity during the summer months is residential lawn irrigation, particularly in the early morning hours,” Supervisor Al Krupski said in a July 9 press release.
A town law regulating sprinkler systems is in the works, with a vote set for 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, at Town Hall. In the release, Mr. Krupski said the irrigation code’s intention is to help “conserve and protect water quantity, as well as quality.”
“I ask all homeowners and businesses to take it upon themselves to irrigate their lawns responsibly,” Mr. Krupski said. “Lawn irrigation professionals have been supportive of proper irrigation techniques, and are an important resource to consult on timing irrigation, and the use of water-saving devices and strategies.”
Most people irrigate their lawns between 2 and 7 a.m., but the best practice is to irrigate between 9 p.m. and midnight, according to the SCWA website. Other steps to conserve water include turning off irrigation during rain events, prevent overwatering and investing in smart devices for your irrigation system.
Additionally, SCWA’s website states, “non-essential uses include: the washing of vehicles, streets, sidewalks, driveways or other outdoor areas, in addition to filling up inflatable pools and using water for ornamental purposes such as fountains, artificial waterfalls or reflecting pools.”
Through their Water Wise program, SCWA offers customers a credit on their water bill for the purchase of irrigation controllers and sensors, rain barrels, pressure regulators, as well as many other water-saving products for your home. For more information on the products and the rebates, visit scwa.com/waterwise/.
“Suffolk County Water Authority is considering spending millions of dollars to pipe water in from the Pine Barrens to supplement Southold’s water supply during these peak use times, so we all must carefully consider the unintended consequences this action could have on the future of Southold,” Mr. Krupski said in the press release. “It is incumbent on all of us to do our best to conserve water and protect our sole-source aquifer, which is a public asset.”
