The Suffolk County Water Authority has reiterated a call for customers to cease nonessential water uses and stop watering lawns between midnight and 7 a.m., when water infrastructure is pushed to the limit by irrigation timers set to the early morning hours.
The water authority's Stage 1 Water Emergency for the East End, declared early last month, was extended to the entirety of its customer base, stretching from Montauk to the Nassau County border, on Thursday.
Water authority customers have been asked to curtail their use of water to reduce demands on the water supply infrastructure system in order to ensure sufficient water for firefighting or other emergency purposes.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Jeffrey Szabo, S.C.W.A.'s chief executive officer, said that "we are all in this together. Everyone needs to do their part to ensure there is sufficient water supply for fighting fires and other emergency purposes."
The U.S. Drought Monitor continues to place all of Long Island in a condition of severe drought, according to the water authority. Long Island just experienced its driest August since 2005 and the fourth driest since recordkeeping began.
In a statement issued from East Hampton Town Hall on Friday, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc urged residents to be aware of their water use.
