Greenport officials call for North Fork Pipeline, citing 'alarming' water supply issues

Greenport Village officials are voicing support for a pipeline that would boost water supply across the North Fork, citing "alarming" supply issues that have only worsened since the project was introduced last year.

The Suffolk County Water Authority returned to Southold for another hearing on the $25 million project Thursday, advocating for an accelerated timeline using a new route to address supply issues in the region.

Though wells on the North Fork remain strained by growing demand, a shallow aquifer and threat of saltwater intrusion, some residents and advocates have raised concerns about the pipeline: Increasing supply, they say, will do little to satiate demand without stronger conservation efforts. But Greenport officials, concerned about water supply in case of emergencies, are calling for an end to delays so the pipeline can be built.

The stress is evident in Greenport, where low water storage tank levels pose risks to water pressure and firefighting capability, according to Jeff Szabo, the CEO of Suffolk County Water Authority.

Readings taken at 5 a.m. on July 3 showed the 30-foot tank, which can hold 300,000 gallons, had about 6.5 feet of water — or less than 65,000 gallons, according to SCWA data.

“That is the location that we lose sleep over,” Szabo said Thursday.

Greenport Village Mayor Kevin Stuessi said delays could spur serious complications.

“When I see that tower … and know that there are times where there's only five feet or two feet worth of water in it, that is an emergency,” Stuessi said at the hearing. “By delaying this decision, you are putting at risk every single one of the volunteer firefighters.”

Patrick Brennan, Greenport's deputy mayor, said it was "very alarming" to see the water levels in the village storage tank. "We need to make sure that our firefighters have adequate resources," he said at the hearing. 

'Night and day difference'

The first phase would pump water from existing wells in Flanders to Southold via County Route 105 and Main Road in Riverhead to meet existing demand, according to SCWA officials.

There is enough supply in the pine barrens to tap for the pipeline, which would let the aquifer in Southold recover, deputy SCWA chief executive Joseph Pokorny said.

“There’s a much more robust aquifer here,” he said. “This is like a night and day difference between the aquifer here and the aquifer on the North Fork.”

Work is expected to take 12 to 18 months to complete and would be staged in the off season to reduce traffic impacts, along with other mitigation, officials said. It is projected to cost between $22 and $25 million.

An earlier version would have routed the pipeline down Sound Avenue, but was changed following public opposition. Riverhead Town and SCWA remain in a legal battle over whether the project should be granted immunity from local zoning and permits.

The environmental review also considers a potential second phase, which would extend public water from East Marion to Orient. Szabo said there are currently no plans to build that extension, which depends on the first phase and participation from Orient residents.

Development concerns

The potential to allow more development in Orient, through expanded water connections, is troubling to residents including Eric Sepenoski, who also serves as a town trustee.

“You're going to see increased water usage on the waterfront as people install sod lawns and irrigate them … fertilize them,” he said. 

Critics of the project said the need for conservation, pricing reforms and native plants is more apparent than ever. The water authority has said 70% of current water use is for lawn irrigation and issued a water alert on the East End in July due to drought conditions and overpumping, Newsday previously reported.

Suffolk Legis. Greg Doroski (D-Mattituck) said the water authority should consider a higher pricing structure to drive conservation. In places like Santa Fe, New Mexico, he said, the highest water consumers pay three times the regular rate.

“Our water is undervalued for how valuable that resource is,” Doroski said.

Though the water authority encourages water-saving methods, Szabo said the organization can’t legislate water use.

The water authority is holding a final public hearing Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Riverhead Free Library and is accepting comments on the project through Sept. 25.