Work has already begun on the Suffolk County Water Authority’s new construction project in the Wainscott area. Eight thousand feet, or about 1.5 miles, of new water main will be added, creating new connections along the water distribution system in the area. It is set to be installed along Wainscott-Northwest Road, South Breeze Drive, and Route 114.
Trenches are already being dug along Wainscott Northwest Road and South Breeze Drive. Work is expected to continue in that area for the next one to three days, according to Chris Given, deputy director of construction and maintenance at the water authority.
The full project is expected to be finished by the end of August, “with heavy construction done in the next couple weeks. After that, crews will be in to do sampling and flush the main,” he said.
“For the trenches we excavate anywhere from four to five feet and lay the water main line in the trench,” Mr. Given said. “We try to stay off the roads as much as possible.”
During construction the water authority will be doing what he called a “soft road closure,” essentially limiting traffic on the roads they are working on but not eliminating it entirely. With signs saying “Road closed except local traffic,” the water authority can limit cut-through traffic, thereby keeping the road in use but limiting the potential for accidents. “This helps keep both the working crew and the people who are driving safe,” Mr. Given said.
A press release from the water authority lays out the benefits that the new water main is expected to provide, including improving water service for residents of the Wainscott hamlet and surrounding areas. With this water main expansion, the authority expects that the water system will be better prepared for the new public supply wells that it is building on Bull Path in the Northwest Woods area, which are expected to be completed later this year.
“The expansion of our water mains system is crucial to S.C.W.A.’s ability to provide the high level of water service our customers deserve,” Charles Lefkowitz, chairman of the water authority, said in a release. “By connecting different parts of this area’s distribution system, we are ensuring that they run as efficiently as possible while maintaining the integrity of the existing infrastructure.” The new water main combined with the new public supply well will allow the water authority to “serve hundreds of new customers that are currently connected to private wells,” according to a release from the authority.
