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Riverhead Water District superintendent declares water emergency

BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO
Lawn sprinklers were on Tuesday morning on Southfield Road in Calverton.

The superintendent of the Riverhead Water District declared a water emergency Tuesday, saying district tanks are running “dangerously low.”
Superintendent Gary Pendzick is asking that all Riverhead residents cease using lawn irrigation systems through the end of the current heat wave.
“Every one of our records for gallons pumped has been broken [in recent weeks],” Mr. Pendzick said.
The district has five tanks and two boosters, and Mr. Pendzick said the stress on each one has been due to “unprecedented lawn irrigation” this June and early July.
There has been zero precipitation in the area so far this month, and none since nearly an inch of rainfall June 22. There has only been two inches of recorded precipitation since June 1, according to the National Weather Service in Upton.
The dry grounds were a problem in town Monday when four brush fires broke out in Calverton, including two on South River Road.
The water emergency declaration came on the same day the National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for the five East End towns due to increased ozone levels. People were being advised to limit strenuous outdoor activity.
Temperatures are again above 90 degrees Wednesday.
The Town of Riverhead is keeping the Senior and Human Resources Center on Shade Tree Lane open until 4:30 p.m. as a cooling center for residents.
LIPA is advising residents to limit power usage as much as possible to avoid brownouts during the current heatwave. Advised preventative measures include: