SCWA to discuss Southold water alert, North Fork pipeline in Greenport
The Suffolk County Water Authority will hold a public meeting in Greenport next month to address a recently declared water alert and its controversial plan to build a new pipeline to the North Fork.
The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 6 at the Greenport firehouse on Third Street.
SCWA issued a Stage 1 water alert for all customers within the Town of Southold and Shelter Island last week in response to a moderate regional drought. Customers were asked to refrain from watering their lawns unless necessary.
“The combination of regional drought and record pumpage requires an immediate response,” SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz said in a press release. “We need all customers on the East End to adhere to water use restrictions so we can maintain pressure for fire protection.”
SCWA CEO Jeff Szabo is also expected to discuss the proposed North Fork pipeline, which has drawn opposition in Riverhead and remains a contentious issue across the region.
The two-phase, 12-mile project would bring additional water to North Fork residents and is estimated to cost $35 million for the first phase alone. SCWA has said the project is critical to maintain water pressure and reliability on the North Fork, especially during summer months when irrigation demand peaks.
The pipeline would carry water from SCWA wells in Flanders through Riverhead and into Southold Town.
Riverhead’s Town Board voted unanimously last October that SCWA must comply with local land-use regulations for the 8.15-mile pipeline that would run through town but provide no water service to Riverhead residents.
SCWA sued Riverhead Town in February seeking permission to move the project forward without town approval.
