SCWA issues water alert for Southold Town, Shelter Island

The Suffolk County Water Authority issued a Stage 1 water alert for all customers within the Town of Southold on Tuesday in response to a moderate regional drought. Shelter Island, Southampton and East Hampton are also included in the alert.

Under the alert, SCWA requests that customers refrain from watering their lawns unless it’s necessary. If customers do choose to water, they must adhere to an odd/even schedule.

Odd-numbered addresses may water only on odd-numbered calendar days, and even-numbered street addresses may only on even-numbered calendar days. No lawn watering would be permitted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

“Our crews are working to maintain system pressure, but conservation is a shared responsibility,” Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo said. “Unchecked demand risks pressure drops that affect public safety and firefighting capabilities.”

SCWA set a pumpage record in June, withdrawing 11.15 billion gallons of water across its entire system, and nearly exceeding its peak pumpage-per-minute record by reaching 540,000 gallons per minute during peak times. 

SCWA also reported elevated water infrastructure demand during the overnight and early morning hours due to irrigation system use. As a result, water storage tanks start each day at lower-than-normal levels and require additional time to refill. These tanks are essential for maintaining water pressure throughout the distribution system.

When tank levels are low, system pressure decreases, reducing water flow to homes and limiting water available for fire protection. Because production facilities are already operating at full capacity, no additional infrastructure is available to meet this increased demand.

“The combination of regional drought and record pumpage requires an immediate response,” Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz said. “We need all customers on the East End to adhere to water use restrictions so we can maintain pressure for fire protection.”

Water storage tanks maintain pressure throughout the public water distribution system. When tank levels drop too low, system pressure decreases, reducing water flow to homes and businesses. The tanks also provide a critical reserve supply for fire protection and other emergencies, so low water levels can limit water availability when it is needed most.