Suffolk County Water Authority issues Stage 1 Water Alert on East End amid drought and record pumpage

The Suffolk County Water Authority has issued a water alert for a host of East End towns, including the Town of Southold, Shelter Island, Southampton and East Hampton, saying the county remains in a "moderate drought" despite recent rains.

Portions of Huntington also are experiencing severe drought conditions, the SCWA said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Stage 1 Water Alert comes as SCWA officials said the authority set a pumpage record in June, withdrawing 11.5 billion gallons of water systemwide — nearly exceeding its peak-pumpage per-minute record, reaching 540,000 gallons per minute.

The SCWA said because "high water infrastructure demand" from irrigation systems during overnight and early-morning hours, water storage tanks "begin the day at low levels and require more time to refill."

Low tank levels reduce system pressure, which can create flow issues to homes — as well as that availability for fire hydrants.

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

Under the alert, odd-numbered street addresses may only water on odd-numbered calendar days, while even-numbered addresses may only water on even-numbered days. No lawn watering is permitted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., the SCWA said.

Systems are operating at or near capacity, the SCWA said, with no additional infrastructure available to meet demand forcing the need to limit water usage to odd and even days.

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

Monitoring available online from the official National Integrated Drought Information System, as tracked by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said 100% of Suffolk residents were currently affected by drought conditions — with all of Long Island in a state of moderate drought or worse.  All of New York City and portions of Westchester, the North Shore of Nassau into the Town of Huntington and the East End, covering both the North and South Forks, are in a state of moderate-to-severe drought.

The monitoring site said Long Island just saw the driest June on record, with records dating back 132 years. We also are in the midst of the driest year-to-date in 132 years in Suffolk, according to NIDIS and the drought.gov website.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also has all of Nassau under a "severe drought" warning — with 100% percent of Nassau residents affected by some level of drought impact, officials said.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a Newsday reporter since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press, Society of the Silurians and National Headliner Awards for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing. He is the author of “Swee'pea,” about New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. His debut crime novel, “For Nothing Is Hidden,” rooted in 1950s Long Island, was released in October 2025.