Suffolk County Water Authority begins work on eight

Dec 27, 2023

The Suffolk County Water Authority broke ground this week on an eight-mile pipeline that will traverse eastern Riverhead Town to connect the authority's water supply and distribution system in Southold Town to water sources in the Pine Barrens.

The 24-inch diameter water main will extend from the intersection of Flanders Road and Cross River Drive (County Route 105) to the water authority's Laurel Lake pump station, where it recently built a 2 million gallon concrete reservoir.

The pipeline will be installed along Flanders Road from White Brook Drive to Route 105, north on Route 105 to Indian Island County Park, through the park to Hubbard Avenue, east on Hubbard Avenue to Meeting House Creek Road to Peconic Bay Boulevard. Installation will continue the length of the boulevard to Laurel Lane, then north on Laurel Lane to Main Road and a connection point to a SCWA main at Franklinville Road in Laurel. The pipeline installation will require lane closures where work is underway.

The transmission line project, part of SCWA's 2015 strategic plan, will take several years to complete at an estimated cost of $35 million. It is the largest in the Suffolk County Water Authority's 75-year-plus history, SCWA said in a press release.

Work got underway Thursday on Peconic Bay Boulevard, where SCWA executives watched the first sections of water main go in the ground.

"This is a historic day," Suffolk County Water Authority Chairman Patrick Halpin said.

"Over 40 years ago, New York State and Suffolk County fought to protect the Central Pine Barrens from development. Our success in doing so all those years ago is paying dividends now and allowing us to bring pristine drinking water to the people who need it most."

The Suffolk County Water Authority's drinking water system in Southold Town is a system of 60 small supply wells drawing water from a shallow localaquifer. The water authority also has a supply agreement with the Riverhead Water District that provides water to the authority's North Fork distribution area. Riverhead provides less than 1% of the water distributed by SCWA on the North Fork, according to the authority's 2022 water quality report.

Over-pumpage of the wells in Southold can cause saltwater intrusion that degrades water quality, SCWA said in its press release announcing commencement of construction.

"Without careful stewardship, the long-term viability of the fragile aquifer below Southold Township is at risk. This pipeline will address the drinking water needs for generations to come," the release said.

The pipeline will allow the water authority to reduce the quantity of water it pumps from its wells in the Town of Southold, which will reduce impacts to the aquifer system in the town and increase the amount of water available in town's aquifer system to agricultural users in the Southold Town, according to a project agreement between SCWA and the Town of Southold. The pipeline is for transmission only through Riverhead Town. The Riverhead Water District already has wells, water mains and other infrastructure providing public water to customers in the areas where the SCWA main will be installed.

County Legislator Al Krupski, who is a candidate for Southold Town Supervisor this year, said the new transmission line into Southold Town "from points west" underscores the need for better conservation measures and more land preservation. The "sole-source aquifer will continue to be stressed as development pressure in all of Suffolk County mounts, including on the North Fork," Krupski said.

"If we are not careful, we will become increasingly dependent on sources outside of Southold Town for our water supply," he said.

Editor's note: This article has been amended to correct the location of the water main where the groundbreaking took place. It was on Peconic Bay Boulevard, not Laurel Lane.

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