Win-Win for Southampton Village in Water Authority Deal

In a deal that will reap in $704,000 for Southampton Village, the Suffolk County Water Authority wants to build a public water supply system on village property, which should prevent the historically low water pressure that occurred last summer in the village from happening again anytime soon.

Mayor Mark Epley said the water authority came to the village in the summer to strike a deal. "They need to build another pumping station, and they need another well to hook into the system because the demands on our water supply here are so great,” he said Thursday.

"Water pressure in the village was at an historic low last summer because of hot weather, no rain and the increased load from irrigation of the estate lawns," Paul Robinson told Patch earlier this month.

The water pressure became so low that pressure dropped to just 18 pounds on the third-floor of , the mayor said. Robinson said during Tuesday's village board work session that 20 to 35 pounds of pressure are needed.

"The domestic water pressure was low and caused trouble for our cooling plants, showers and toilets," hospital spokeswoman Marsha Kenny wrote in an e-mail Friday. "We resolved the problem internally with booster pumps to boost the domestic water pressure."

The parcel being eyed by the water authority is a wooded area of . First, the water authority would install a test well on the property to determine if the aquifer meets its standards. If the quantity and the quality of the water are adequate, the village will sell the water authority an easement over the property for $704,000. The easement would grant the water authority, "The right to install, operate, maintain and repair any structures and/or appurtenances and ancillary facilities, without limitation, within the premise for the purpose of taking and using water for water supply purposes."

Epley said the structure will be relatively small and have no impact on the surrounding area — making no noise.

The test well installation should be complete within three months of the agreement being executed, according to a draft of the agreement.

If the water quality becomes too poor over time for the water authority to use, the easement will be canceled and the structure will be removed at no cost to the village, the mayor said.

The $704,000 would provide seed money for some big projects in the village's future, Epley said, citing plans for restoration of the facility on Jobs Lane, a new barn and addressing sewage management issues.