As summer nears, new SCWA chair asks residents to conserve water

BY RAYMOND JANIS & AIDAN JOHNSON EDITOR1@TBRNEWSMEDIA.COM

As the county enters the hottest and driest months of the year, the Suffolk County Water Authority is urging residents to take preemptive measures to help mitigate potential water shortages.

Last month, commercial real estate developer, Three Village Chamber of Commerce president and former Town of Brookhaven Councilman Charlie Lefkowitz, a Setauket resident, took the helm of the SCWA Board. He takes the reins of the public benefit corporation at a critical juncture in its history.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tracked record lows in rainfall throughout the region in 2022, with the county experiencing its sixth driest July on record.

In an exclusive interview, the newly installed SCWA chair maintained that while clean water is essential, the county is facing growing water quality and quantity issues. And with summer weather approaching, he said the water authority’s existing infrastructure would also be feeling the heat.

“Being on the board for the last year, I got some really good insight on how important protecting our groundwater and the constitutional right of everyone in Suffolk County to have clean drinking water,” he said.

Lefkowitz described the county’s water situation as being “very unique,” as it’s one of the largest water districts with a solesource aquifer, whereby ratepayers receive 100% of their water from the ground.

“We have 1.2 million customers,” he said. “Eighty-five percent of the residents of Suffolk are customers of Suffolk County Water,” adding that the rest primarily rely upon private wells or smaller water districts.

But in some areas, notably along the East End, prolonged droughts coupled with heavy water consumption can put an undue strain on SCWA’s infrastructure.

“The East End and the North Fork get very stressed this time of year,” he said. “When you have pristine lawns, gardening, pools, waterfalls and multiple geothermal” air-conditioning units, the excess strain on SCWA’s pumps can become severe, creating water shortages in some areas of the county.

To counteract these trends, Lefkowitz stressed the need for residents systemwide to limit their water use.

SCWA’s existing billing schematic is two-tiered, placing an upcharge upon customers who exceed 75,000 gallons in a single billing cycle.

Given the severity of water quantity challenges as of late, Lefkowitz said the SCWA board is now exploring creating a third tier.

“This is for excessive use of water,” he said.

“When you look at someone who has a single-family home of 20-40,000 square feet, but they’re using millions of gallons of water, we have to really look at” disincentivizing overconsumption of water.

Lefkowitz said he is often asked why he promotes water conservation, as the initiative could likely diminish revenues. Given the environmental and financial realities, he maintained the environmental pluses still outweigh the economic minuses.

“We’re in that season now,” he said. “At the end of the day, water conservation is really important.”

The following incidents have been reported by Suffolk County Police:

Terryville man killed in hit-and-run

Suffolk County Police Major Case Unit detectives are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed a man in Port Jefferson Station on June 2.

Peter Williams, 47, of Terryville was crossing Route 112 eastbound, south of Rose Avenue, when he was struck by an unknown SUV heading southbound on Route 112 that fled the scene, then struck by a second southbound vehicle that remained at the scene, at 10:13 p.m.

Williams was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. Detectives are asking anyone with information on the crash to call 631-852-6553.

Two Farmingville men arrested for stealing cooking oil

Suffolk County Police arrested two men on June 5 for allegedly stealing cooking oil from restaurants in the Fifth Precinct in May and June of this year.

Gregory Smith and Andrew DeMarco allegedly stole cooking oil from three different restaurants on five occasions between May 22 and June 5. Smith drove a rented box truck and siphoned the oil into a 500-gallon container while DeMarco drove a 2023 Honda Accord to act as a look-out.

Following an investigation by Fifth Precinct Crime Section officers, the two were arrested in Patchogue on June 5 at approximately 1:45 a.m. for stealing from the following restaurants: Island Empanada in Medford on May 22 and May 31; Dirty Taco in Patchogue on May 31 and June 5; and Harbor Crab in Patchogue on June 5 Smith, 39, of Dogwood Ave., Farmingville was charged with Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree and five counts of Petit Larceny. DeMarco, 38, of Dogwood Ave., Farmingville was charged with two counts of Petit Larceny and one count of Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree. They are scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.

The investigation is continuing. Police are asking anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a similar crime to call 631852-COPS to make a police report.

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Caught On Camera

— COMPILED BY HEIDI SUTTON

Do you recognize this woman? Photo from SCPD

Wanted for Petit Larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the woman above who allegedly stole approximately $500 worth of merchandise from Walgreens, located at 302 Route 25A, Miller Place on May 9 at approximately 2:45 p.m. with a male accomplice.

Do you recognize this man? Photo from SCPD

Wanted for Petit Larceny

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Suffolk County Police Sixth Precinct Crime Section officers are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate a man who allegedly stole air conditioners from Lowe’s, located at 2796 Route 112 in Medford, at 5:23 p.m. on May 24. The merchandise was valued at approximately $710.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.

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