First pipe placed for new water line from pine barrens to Southold

The Suffolk County Water Authority on Thursday began what officials called an “ambitious project” to extend a water supply line that will stretch eight miles from the central pine barrens into the Town of Southold.

The approximately $35 million project will take several years to complete and represents the largest capital project in the SCWA’s history, according to agency CEO Jeff Szabo.

The North Fork Halpin Transmission Line will transport water from Flanders to the Laurel Lake pump station to supplement the existing water supply, ease the stress on existing wells in Southold Town and preserve the area's shallow aquifer, officials said. 

SCWA provides drinking water to about 9,500 customers in Southold Town and the pipeline will reduce the reliance on wells, which the agency uses to draw water from the aquifer.

When water demand surges, particularly during summer when the North Fork's population grows, the SCWA wells have limited capacity to pump enough water, according to SCWA.

Last summer, Southold was one of four East End towns to face a Stage 1 water emergency and the SCWA issued several public requests for residents to cut back water usage.

The pipeline "will provide a safe and robust supply of drinking water forever,” SCWA chairman Patrick Halpin said at a news conference.

Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said the benefits will be threefold: reducing the risk of saltwater intrusion, ensuring clean water access for the community and providing for the aquifer's long-term health.

Joe Pokorny, the SCWA’s deputy chief executive officer for operations, called it a “big” and “ambitious” project as crews on Thursday placed the first pipe into the ground on Peconic Bay Boulevard near Laurel Lane in Laurel.

Work gradually will continue west through the Town of Riverhead, which is served by its own water district, as well as through Indian Island County Park.

Pokorny said the SCWA has made “a lot of improvements to the distribution on the North Fork itself” to prepare for when the pipeline becomes operational. He added that the pipeline will lessen the “competition” for water in an area where farming is prominent.

Szabo said the targeted completion date is around 2029 to 2030. The agency is seeking federal and state grant funding to offset the cost, officials said.

They said they expect the project to cause minimal traffic disruptions. Crews typically will close one lane of traffic in the area where work is being done and the road will be passable in both directions at night. Work is expected to be done Monday through Friday.

 Ty Fuller, the SCWA’s lead hydrogeologist, on Thursday recalled working on the North Fork in East Marion about 24 years ago for one his first projects. He said he was surprised by the shallowness of the wells.

“You’re in an area where you have isolated, shallow bubbles of fresh water, unlike the mainland where that fresh water can extend hundreds of feet,” he said. “Out here, the line between fresh water and seawater may only be 100 feet. That concerned me.”

Fuller referred to the transmission line as a “pivotal moment” and the start of something that had been discussed for decades. Operating the current 61 shallow wells on the North Fork is an “unsustainable situation,” he said.  

The pipeline ultimately will transport about 6,000 gallons of water a minute, Pokorny said. 

Halpin said the current wells still will be maintained and operated as needed.

Russell encouraged residents to do their part to conserve water and reduce usage when possible.

“Southold is changing radically,” he said. “What we all have to do is recognize that even with this huge, plentiful supply that the water authority is bringing in, we have to match their commitment.”

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister covers the towns of Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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