Town exploring Suffolk County Water alliance

Discussions continue into the possibility of the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) playing a role in drinking water delivery on Shelter Island.

But before residents get concerned, it would likely be more than 10 years away and even then, it wouldn’t be any kind of Island-wide takeover.

Many here have always equated a company providing infrastructure for the water system with increased development.

Supervisor Gerry Siller, Town Engineer Joe Finora and Councilman and Water Advisory Committee Chairman Mike Bebon met with SCWA officials recently to discuss next steps that would include a tour of the West Neck Water District plant and system and mapping of possible boundaries where the water authority could play a future role in water delivery.

Even if SCWA were to provide infrastructure for delivery, it wouldn’t be increasing the supply of water on the Island, but only providing a means of delivering the existing water to those areas where there are problems, particularly during months when the population swells from about 2,500 residents to an estimated 10,000 that includes part-timers and visitors.

WAC member Peter Grand said he would only envision some small pumping stations on the Island constructed by SCWA.

West Neck would serve as a guide to what might be needed in those other areas where water is an issue, Mr. Bebon said.

A tour of the West Neck Water District would not entail SCWA assuming operation of that district, Mr. Bebon told the Water Advisory Committee (WAC) at a late December meeting. Instead, the utility officials want to look at what they might need to do to get reliable water to other parts of the Island where it is less available.

Lisa Shaw, a board member of the West Neck Water District, suggested John Hallman — former chairman of the WAC and water plant operator for the District — should be on hand to answer technical questions SCWA officials might have.

Ms. Shaw said she’s not a fan of the SCWA and told the WAC the West Neck Board would not look favorably on its customers bearing any costs related to infrastructure construction for other areas of the Island. Long time West Neck customers have already borne the expense of creating the infrastructure that was needed for their own system and rates haven’t been raised for 10 years, she said.

She advised the WAC to look at other communities where SCWA operates to see what services the utility has provided them and at what cost. Dering Harbor is the only area on the Island where the SCWA has a contract for managing that village’s water system.

It would be an 11-year build out if SCWA did offer services to other parts of the Island, Mr. Bebon said. Currently, there are no interconnections with SCWA from either the North or South forks.

Ms. Shaw pointed out that many years ago, SCWA said it wouldn’t get involved with water delivery on the Island because it could never recoup its investment in the necessary infrastructure.

Ground and Surface Water Management Plan

In other actions, members of the WAC agreed to review a Ground and Surface Water Management Plan that the committee created almost a year ago and submitted to the Town Board. While a review and updating of that plan is to take place over the next year, the first step now is to review the plan with an eye to:

• Steps that have already been implemented

• Elimination of some steps that may have seemed important a year ago but are no longer relevant

• Decisions about next steps to begin implementing the plan now rather than to wait for a full re-examination of the water management plan.

Mr. Bebon asked committee members to reread the document and give him their comments that will be further discussed in this month.

Fresh Pond

Mr. Grand revealed that a planned study of conditions in Fresh Pond planned for next spring can’t come soon enough. Increases in phosphorous levels are evident now with sightings of algal blooms not usually seen in winter months. The blooms, which are typical in warm weather are even more prevalent now, he said. The spring study aims to determine what the needs are to clean up Fresh Pond and how that might be achieved.