With the average Suffolk home using about 130,000 gallons of water a year, a Hamptons estate washes out with a well-busting 7.6 million gallons.
The Suffolk County Water Authority’s annual “Shame List” aims to draw attention to water conservation and encourage customers to take advantage of incentives to cut down on usage, especially during a time when Long Island is suffering moderate drought conditions.
Two oceanfront estates belonging to an art media mogul in Southampton that sprawl over four acres use the millions of gallons for landscape irrigation, pools and other necessities for the lifestyles of the rich and famous.
The Hamptons mansions of a pair of hedge fund managers are on the list with over five million gallons, along with the wife of an Oscar-winning Hollywood screenwriter and a real estate guru.
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The SCWA is one of the largest groundwater suppliers in the nation serving 1.2 million people with more than 75 billion gallons a year. It draws its supply exclusively from underground aquifers replenished only by rainwater. The water supply is under constant threat of pollution and overuse.
“Suffolk County is in a moderate drought, posing a significant threat to our water supply and the sustainability of our community,” the water authority said. They appealed to residents to only water lawns on odd or even days corresponding to their street number, and to install rain-stat systems that cut off irrigation when it’s raining. The SCWA lists conservation programs and incentives at scwa.com.