Sunday, June 15, 2025
At the Suffolk County Water Authority, our mission is more than delivering water — it’s about ensuring the health and well-being of the communities we serve. We provide a reliable supply of high-quality drinking water, maintain modern infrastructure, and invest in improvements that prepare us for the future. Nowhere is this commitment more evident than in the Town of Babylon.
With over 200,000 residents depending on us in Babylon alone, we’ve made it a priority to strengthen the township’s water system through key investments in treatment technology, infrastructure and long-term resiliency. Our goal is to meet today’s needs and plan for tomorrow — ensuring that every customer can trust the water from their tap.
Ensuring clean, safe water. Water quality is the foundation of our operations. As regulations evolve and new contaminants emerge, SCWA responds swiftly by installing the most advanced treatment systems available. Our aim is always to meet or exceed health standards while maintaining the clean, fresh taste our customers expect.
This year, one of our most significant accomplishments occurred in East Farmingdale, where SCWA has operated the water district since 2010. In March, we activated a state-of-the-art Advanced Oxidation Process system at our Smith Street well field, restoring a major water source previously limited due to 1,4-dioxane — a synthetic industrial chemical. Thanks to this upgrade, 1,4-dioxane is now undetectable in water from that well — an important step forward for public health.
We’re also enhancing treatment capacity at our Broadhollow Road well field with a Granular Activated Carbon system to remove volatile organic compounds. Found in everyday products like paints and cleaners, VOCs can be harmful in water. This treatment will return the well to full service, boosting supply during peak demand periods.
Building for the future. As Babylon grows, we’re aligning our infrastructure strategy with the community’s development. Our work in the Wyandanch Rising redevelopment project illustrates this. SCWA replaced and upgraded old water mains to support new housing, businesses and public facilities, ensuring reliable service and fire protection.
We also completed a key interconnection in 2019, extending a water main from Wyandanch to East Farmingdale. This upgrade provides both everyday reliability and an emergency backup supply, strengthening resilience in both areas.
Success in Oak Beach: a coastal transformation. In December 2024, we completed a major project in Oak Beach, one of the southernmost sections of Babylon. Under contract with the Town of Babylon, we constructed a new water system including two wells, iron-removal treatment, an emergency generator and a new distribution network.
Oak Beach had previously relied on a failing private system with chronic water quality issues. At the direction of the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, SCWA designed and built a new public system, bringing residents safe, reliable water. This project showcases how partnerships can bring long-overdue improvements to underserved communities.
Infrastructure that works. Delivering water reliably depends on a strong distribution network. That’s why SCWA continually invests in replacing aging mains, upgrading hydrants, and modernizing infrastructure throughout Babylon.
Recent upgrades include water main replacements on Highland Place and Harbor Road in Babylon, Bauer Street in West Babylon, and multiple streets in Amityville, Lindenhurst, Copiague and Deer Park. These improvements strengthen system reliability, enhance water pressure, and support emergency response through better hydrant functionality.
We’ve also replaced aging hydrants in several communities, ensuring that first responders can depend on them during emergencies.
Being a good neighbor. Beyond infrastructure, we strive to be good neighbors. In 2023, we completed landscaping upgrades at our Amityville pump station as part of our Earth Day Beautification Project. These enhancements helped the facility better blend into the neighborhood — a model we intend to replicate at other sites across the township.
Looking ahead with confidence. Every investment we make in Babylon — whether it’s a high-tech treatment system, a new hydrant or a major interconnection — reflects our commitment to the residents we serve. At SCWA, we don’t just deliver water.
We deliver trust, quality and peace of mind.
We thank the residents of Babylon for their ongoing support. The SCWA remains steadfast in our mission to protect and deliver one of our region’s most vital resources — clean, reliable drinking water.
Jeff Szabo is chief executive officer of the Suffolk County Water Authority.
