East Hampton supervisor urges immediate water conservation after county wells go offline

Supervisor Brooke Gonzales told the East Hampton Town Board on Thursday that the Suffolk County Water Authority has issued an urgent request for East End residents to cut back on unnecessary water use as the town faces severe drought conditions.

"The Suffolk County Water Authority has issued an urgent request for East End residents, particularly here at East Hampton, to immediately reduce unnecessary water use," Gonzales said during the July 2 meeting. She said two public water-supply wells in East Hampton are offline and two additional wells are operating only under emergency protocols, placing the system under "real pressure" during peak irrigation hours.

Gonzales urged residents to skip lawn watering unless absolutely necessary, follow the odd/even evening watering schedule, and avoid watering between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. She said the town has directed reduced outdoor water use at town facilities and thanked the Suffolk County Water Authority, County Executive Ed Romaine, emergency services and town staff for coordinating through the holiday weekend.

The supervisor described the request as urgent and asked local media to amplify the message online and on social platforms so that residents and visitors would get the notice in time for the holiday. Gonzales framed reduced residential sprinkler use as protecting water pressure for homes, businesses and fire protection.

The town did not announce additional mandatory restrictions at the July 2 meeting; Gonzales said the town's actions were to conserve use while the authority works to restore well capacity. The Water Authority's specific repair timeline and the identities of the affected wells were not specified at the meeting.