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Home My WebLink About08/07/2025 Town of Southold Water Advisory Committee— Meeting Minutes August 7tn Next Steps: • Kate to convert irrigation code text to one-page easy to read summary that can be translated into Spanish. • Ask Joe Finora to share how Shelter Island was able to ban irrigation and has there been a measurable positive impact in the aquifer following this change. Even 10- minute history, or understudy. • Kate to send Al cc John talking points to share with the Town Board re irrigation code and best practices for water conservation, for when they're speaking to different groups. • How do other regional overlay plans actually work, are they being actively use? E.g Easthampton. • Does town need to map areas for IA systems, now that the state is funding, to help push installs in those areas. Needs to align with holistic plan so we're not pushing in areas that will be affected by erosion in future. • For Committee: good to give opinions on zoning as related to water, e.g. no new building on flood zone, submit before Town Board Public Engagement Meeting. Committee think about issues we care about and examine zoning update so far and see where we can make recommendations. Can make appointment with someone in Planning Department to get guidance on research. Maggie, Anne, Caroline plan to go to Planning Department to dig in. • For outreach: nurseries good contact. Attendees: Caroline,John, Kate, Chad (virtual) , Vinnie, Anne Smith, Anne Murray 1. GUEST SPEAKERS: Barbara Friedman of the Orient Advisory Water Committee to present the Orient Water Resource Study:Joined by Glynnis Barry, Daniel watts, Chris Wedge. a. May do poll on whether Orient residents want SCWA to come out, Had previously vetoed that. SCWA had said Orient would need to pay for public water. USGS put in monitoring well at school to test for salt water intrusion. Suffolk County Health Dept put in well near Narrow River Rd. b. Consider preserving parcels to limit septic build-outs in areas not suitable. c. Legislator Ed Romaine might be interested in learning more about Orient's issues. d. Be mindful that if SCWA comes in there and adds new public well there can be overpumping of wells that lead to saltwater intrusion. e. Methodology for study: In 2022 consultants provided data, but Committee then presented it to farmers etc. to align with hyperlocal information and make the data more realistic. Consultant then took that back. i. One good outcome was learned that nitrogen not an issue in the coastal water. ii. Did learn saltwater intrusion, PFAS, and N2 for drinking water standards. iii. Conclusion that current population is supported by water volume. Issue for today is contamination from home septic. But what about adding more pools, more irrigation to larger new houses. iv. Have enough water, but are susceptible to drought. f. Did analysis of how many houses won't have access to freshwater in 2100. 10- 15%, 70-80 households could have limited access to fresh water. g. Would like to see a Coastal Resilience Overlay in the zoning update (it is mentioned but actual study needs to be done in future). Currently have no way to regulating that other than trustees. h. Orient Water Committee mission is education. Lobbying is not part of their mission. If majority of Orient residents want public water then they would pursue that. i. PFAS a big priority for the community. About half over limit. Committee priority now to keep closer track of DOHS tests to understand earlier when there is anew contaminant. Make sure new residents understand what they should and shouldn't put down their drains. j. DEC identified firefighting foam as likely culprit. k. People with over the MCL of PFAS were offered point of entry carbon activated filters. I. Soon to be designated a NYS superfund site. DEC gave carbon filters to those who tested high. m. Encourage everyone to get their private well tested (so people outside survey area are being alerted too) n. Raised money from the community to support the study. Orient Association not a governing body. o. Aquifer Protection Overlay is underway. p. Study cost $60K q. Orient October 251" Forum may be a good opp to interface with elected officials. Inviting Heather and Al. DOHS, USGS, SWCA, consultants all presenting. Recommend inviting Mark Terry as well. 2. Discussion of WAC role in outreach/education for the new Irrigation Code, to irrigation professionals including bilingual outreach (see great coverage in the local Spanish-language publication thanks to Sonia Spar who handles town relations for the Spanish-speaking community: h p.s.:.// rq s I Iw r r i q- q- F l - r l 1 rj - ente- q- g -1 q .- - - .. - g .. . ... �ablq/) 3. FYI new Town of Southold Committee Handbook < s.®./ tha l_dtow n wggy/ q mentC n q_r i_ r L1own-of- _ t I _- Committee-H n.dbook> .................................................................................................................... 4. DWSP2 responsibilities a. Next step: creation of plan specific to Southold Town.