Work Begins on 8-Mile North Fork Water Pipeline 

Crews broke ground March 23 on a $35 million, 8-mile water pipeline that will bring Suffolk County Water Authority service to 10,000 customers on the North Fork for the first time.

The 24-inch diameter water main will extend from the intersection of Flanders Road and Cross River Drive in Flanders and continue 44,000 feet to the agency’s Laurel Lake pump station, SCWA officials said.

“This is a historic day,” said Patrick G. Halpin, who chairs the SCWA, adding that the project will allow the agency “to bring pristine drinking water to the people who need it most.”

The SCWA said the project is the largest in its more than 75-year history. It’s intended to mitigate saltwater intrusion in drinking water supplies in the Town of Southold, which is surrounded by the Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay.

“The extension of a water main from points west into Southold Town underscores the fact that we must do better to conserve this limited resource and preserve land because our sole-source aquifer will continue to be stressed as development pressure in all of Suffolk County mounts, including on the North Fork,” said Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski (D-Peconic), who is running for town supervisor. “If we are not careful, we will become increasingly dependent on sources outside of Southold Town for our water supply.”