Sunday, July 13, 2025
As winter continues, the Suffolk County Water Authority is once again hard at work, responding to one of the most challenging aspects of delivering high-quality water during the colder months: water main breaks. With over 6,000 miles of water mains stretching from Melville to Montauk, and even across Fire Island and Shelter Island, our infrastructure is vast — enough to reach all the way to Siberia. This expansive network delivers water to more than 1.2 million residents. Keeping it functioning during the winter is no small task.
During the winter months, fluctuating temperatures cause the ground to freeze and thaw repeatedly. This constant shifting puts stress on the pipes below, especially older cast-iron pipes, which are more brittle and susceptible to cracking under pressure. This year has proven to be particularly challenging for SCWA crews. In January, our teams responded to 224 main breaks — more than double the 101 we repaired during the same period last year. In fact, this is the highest number of breaks we’ve seen in a single month since January 2018, when 268 breaks were recorded.
The Town of Babylon, particularly the southwest sewer district, is where we see the most main breaks. When sewer pipes were installed there in the 1970s, they were placed beneath existing water mains, compromising the structural integrity of the ground. This makes breaks more likely in this area, compared with other parts of our system.
When a water main breaks, it can flood the street and disrupt service to nearby homes and businesses. In addition to the immediate inconvenience, main breaks can stir up sediment in the water system, leading to discolored water. While this discoloration may be concerning, it doesn’t affect the quality of the water, which remains safe to drink. Customers can help clear the discoloration by running cold water from a tap for several minutes. SCWA also regularly flushes the system to clear out sediment and maintain water quality.
Our response to main breaks is swift and precise. Once a leak is reported, our customer service technicians use advanced technology to pinpoint its exact location, ensuring that we only dig where necessary. This minimizes disruption, and allows our crews to address the issue as quickly as possible.
The next step is handled by our construction/maintenance team. They set up traffic-control measures to keep the area safe, and isolate the leak to reduce the number of affected customers. Once the area is excavated and the damaged section of pipe is exposed, they drain the water and begin repairs.
This process isn’t easy, especially in the dead of winter. Our crews work tirelessly, often in the middle of the night, facing brutally cold temperatures and wet conditions. It is exhausting and demanding work, but they do it to ensure that our customers have reliable water service. While residents may be familiar with emergency crews responding to downed power lines or fallen trees after a major storm, our crews are out there all winter long, often without the attention or recognition that comes with more visible emergencies. They are the unsung heroes of our winter operations.
Most of SCWA’s water system consists of cast-iron pipes, a legacy material that is prone to breaking during freeze-thaw cycles. To address this, the authority is proactively replacing 20 to 30 miles of water main each year with cement-lined, ductile iron pipes. This modern material is more flexible, and better suited to withstanding the stresses caused by temperature changes. While there is still much work to be done, we remain committed to upgrading our infrastructure to ensure reliability for years to come.
If you notice pooling water on the street without an obvious source, it could be a sign of a water main break. Please call our customer service line, at (631) 698-9500, so we can investigate and respond promptly.
At SCWA, we take pride in delivering high-quality water to our customers, no matter the season. Our crews are working around the clock to keep your water flowing, even in the harshest conditions. As we continue to invest in our infrastructure and improve our response capabilities, we thank our customers for their support.
Jeff Szabo is chief executive officer of the Suffolk County Water Authority.
