Will Calverton residents get public water?

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO Polluted water taken from a well in
Calverton. Local elected officials sought feedback from
Calverton residents last week about a plan to connect the
community with public water using stimulus funds previously
slated for an Orient water line project.

Local elected officials sought feedback from Calverton residents last week about a plan to connect the community with public water using stimulus funds previously slated for an Orient water line project.
Congressman Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and state Assemblyman Marc Alessi (D-Shoreham) said they wanted to make sure residents from Peconic Lake Estates, which consists of about 213 houses supported by well-water located on South River Road and Pinehurst Boulevard, wanted public water.
Officials said they are working toward securing the federal monies no longer needed to fund a public water line extension project for a 24-home community in Orient called Brown Hills.
“There is absolutely no requirement on the part of the Environmental Facilities Corporation to keep the money in Suffolk County,” Mr. Bishop told residents. “The challenge is get that money to here.”
Most Brown Hills residents opposed the project because they feared it could have lead to high-density development.
Suffolk County Legislator Ed Romaine (R-Center Moriches) said he has been working with the Peconic Lake Estates community to bring public water to the area for years, but efforts have been defeated in the past. While many homeowners want public water, they can’t afford it, he said.
If the Environmental Facilities Corporation agrees, the Calverton project would receive about $2 million of stimulus funding to offset the costs for Calverton residents, officials said.
Homeowners said they want public water because their private wells produce polluted “brown water.” They also want fire hydrants installed, which the community lacks.
“The Peconic Lake Estates community is a low-income area with many wells that are questionable,” Mr. Romaine said. “The project will provide them with fire protection and access to clean public water.”