Conserving water is up to us, now and for the future

As drought plagues the western United States and fires destroy forests and homes, water shortages and a changing climate can feel both terrifying, and far removed.

Long Island hasn't endured the kind of dry reservoirs, tinder-like trees and undergrowth, and severe lack of rain ravaging the West.

But Long Island is enduring water shortages, too, thanks to light rainfall, heavy use, and well contamination. Our water comes from a sole-source aquifer so we must be conscious of conserving it, and of keeping it clean now, if we want to avoid more serious problems later.

Three weeks ago, the Jericho Water District declared a water emergency, citing a lack of rainfall and Freon contamination in three of its 25 wells. Customers are asked to limit their use to bathing, cooking, drinking, washing, and laundry, and to avoid watering their lawns. 

The system, which serves about 58,000 people, is stressed because Freon has contaminated three wells in Brookville, which now cannot be used. Construction of an aeration system that will treat the contamination, at a cost of $8 million to $10 million, is dragging on, with parts on order for over a year. A similar emergency was declared in 2020, and an ongoing investigation has yet to determine the source of the contamination.

Nassau is one of the 22 counties the state has now placed on drought watch, the least severe of the four levels of drought declaration. Suffolk made the same list, and is drier. Authorities say 88% of Suffolk County is “abnormally dry," thanks to below-normal precipitation that has led to low streamflows and groundwater levels. The Suffolk County Water Authority has asked all of its 1.2 million customers to water lawns every other day at most, and to avoid watering between midnight and 7 a.m. And in the towns of Southampton, Southold, East Hampton and Shelter Island, the SCWA has declared a water emergency, asking residents to eliminate all nonessential use and shorten showers.

SCWA officials say they're trying to avoid a situation in which there is not enough water pressure to fight fires because of irrigation at times of heavy use.

Now it’s up to us, and it matters. Overuse of wells in areas where the water table is low invites salt-water infiltration into the aquifer. Using large amounts of water while systems are stressed can overtax water pressure. And respect for other community members demands we don’t put our obsessions with emerald green lawns ahead of common sense and communal responsibility.

Follow the rules about usage limitations and time requests. Be honest about what water use is important — like drinking, cooking, and washing clothes, dishes, and bodies — and what isn’t, like lawns. 

And get used to it, because stresses on water supply, here and in much of the nation, are only projected to get worse.