Press Releases

Contact: Public Relations Department
Suffolk County Water Authority
PO Box 37
Oakdale NY 11769
(631) 563-0296

June 30, 1997
MONTAUK RESIDENTS, VISITORS

The Suffolk County Water Authority has begun an intense public information campaign to let people know that only stringent voluntary conservation efforts can spare Montauk residents and visitors from mandatory water use restrictions this summer.

Flyers in hotel and motel rooms, a barrage of radio spots, and signs on SCWA trucks serving the east end call attention to a Stage I Water Alert in effect, which reminds people that while most of Suffolk is blessed with an abundant supply of fresh groundwater, the aquifer on Montauk is so shallow that strict water use restrictions could become necessary. If too much fresh water is pumped out in any one location, salt water could contaminate the well, making it impossible to continue producing fresh drinking water. In the summer, when the population on the Montauk Peninsula increases by 800%, supplying enough fresh water for everyone's needs can be quite "a juggling act", according to SCWA Chairman and CEO Michael LoGrande.

"Despite the fact that last summer was a mild one, we were on the verge of issuing a Stage II Water Alert on several occasions," LoGrande said. "If this summer is hot and dry, mandatory restrictions on all outdoor water use become a distinct probability. We have a public responsibility to make certain that fire-fighting capabilities and the continued use of our wells are not jeopardized in any way."

Authority managers and technicians are working hard to monitor the situation and make the most of the limited supply, LoGrande noted. Consequently, water samples are collected and tested on a weekly basis to monitor the level of chlorides at the 10 wells that serve the area.

Computers, time clocks and a device known as the programmable logic controller (PLC), which can track run times and rotate wells, are among the weapons the Authority is using to fight the invading chlorides, according to SCWA Public Relations Director Laura Mansi. "It's a real battle each summer to keep the chloride at levels that do not threaten the viability of the wells that serve this peninsula," she said. "A lot depends on the cooperation of all residents and visitors. We urge the public to voluntarily enlist in this critical effort to help us prevent the salt water from interfacing with the fresh and ruining everyone's summer fun."

According to Mansi, people can help by cutting back on water use indoors by taking shorter showers, running only fully-loaded appliances, and locating and repairing all leaks. "Water should not be left running for any reason," she said. "All outdoor water use should be avoided to the greatest possible extent. Residents and visitors to Montauk will be notified through news bulletins on local radio stations and by telephone if a mandatory Stage II Water Alert prohibiting all outdoor water use is declared."

The SCWA is a public benefit corporation operating by virtue of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. The Authority is operated solely for the benefit of the customers it serves.