Suffolk County Water Authority

What Suffolk County Water Authority does

Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) is an independent public-benefit corporation chartered under New York State Public Authorities Law that supplies drinking water drawn from a sole-source aquifer to approximately 1.2 million residents across Suffolk County, Long Island, including Fire Island and Shelter Island. SCWA operates one of the largest groundwater-based water systems in the United States, maintaining roughly 6,000 miles of water main, 232 pump stations, 43 booster stations, 62 storage tanks, and 34,500 public hydrants under 24/7 SCADA monitoring. The utility tests for over 400 compounds—251 more than required by state and federal regulators—and detects contaminants down to parts-per-trillion levels using proprietary methods including 17 recently installed Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) systems and Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) for PFAS and 1,4-dioxane removal.

SCWA's technology stack extends beyond physical infrastructure to include WaterTraq, a GIS-based water quality database developed through the Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection; the "See My Water Quality" interactive mapping tool; system-wide Automated Meter Reading (AMR); and a nationally recognized laboratory operation. The utility holds a 2022 patent for a sodium bisulfate dispenser used in 1,4-dioxane sampling, and recently launched the Innovation in Water Research Fund to advance materials science for PFAS treatment.

As a not-for-profit entity without taxing power, SCWA generates revenue primarily through usage-based water service charges billed quarterly, supplemented by transaction fees from electronic billing, fire hydrant permits, and seasonal reconnection charges. Funding is augmented by $112 million in state and federal grants secured since 2019, a record $21.5 million WIIA award in 2024, and a $7 million EFC grant in December 2025. The FY2027 operating budget is $346 million, supporting a $1 billion decade-long infrastructure plan. SCWA carries a AAA bond rating from Fitch Ratings, sells optional HomeServe service-line protection plans as a channel partner, and maintains a distribution model that is entirely direct-to-customer via its own infrastructure.

Name

Suffolk County Water Authority

Legal name

Suffolk County Water Authority

Website

https://scwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Suffolk County Water Authority is a New York public-benefit corporation that supplies drinking water from a sole-source aquifer to approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents through 6,000 miles of water mains, operating as a not-for-profit utility with usage-based pricing and a AAA bond rating.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Water Utility Services

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Quality Monitoring, Compliance & Reporting (Sampling, Lab, Regulatory) (EUANAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH), Online Monitoring, Sensors & Instrumentation (SCADA-integrated analyzers, probes, samplers) (EUANAJAC), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Drinking water supply
• Water quality testing
• Water distribution infrastructure
• Groundwater management

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Sales and Service Charges: SCWA operates on a not-for-profit basis without taxing power, generating revenue through water service charges based on consumption. The authority maintains some of the lowest water rates in New York State.
2. Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP) Fees: Revenue from electronic billing and direct debit payment processing through the EBPP program.
3. Fire Hydrant Permits: Permit fees for approved hydrant users including street sweepers, tree sprayers, landscapers, paving contractors, and drainage contractors. Permits are non-potable use only and expire December 31 of each year.
4. Seasonal Service Reconnection: $60.00 reconnect fee for seasonal property water turn-backs, in addition to quarterly service availability charges.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Suffolk County Water Authority is a public-benefit corporation that supplies and distributes drinking water from a sole-source aquifer to approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents across 6,000 miles of water main. The Authority tests water for 400+ compounds, applies advanced treatment systems including Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) for PFAS and Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) for 1,4-dioxane, and maintains 232 pump stations, 43 booster stations, 62 storage tanks, and over 36,000 fire hydrants monitored 24/7 via SCADA. SCWA also provides complementary services such as WaterWise conservation credits, fire hydrant permits, Electronic Bill Presentment and Payment (EBPP), and optional HomeServe home repair plans.

Product overview

Suffolk County Water Authority operates as a single-tier water utility providing comprehensive drinking water services including water supply, distribution, treatment, and quality monitoring. The core offering is drinking water delivery across 6,000 miles of water main to 1.2 million residents. Supporting this are multiple sub-products: Water Quality Testing & Treatment (including GAC for PFAS and AOP for 1,4-dioxane), AMR Automated Meter Reading, SCADA monitoring, WaterTraq GIS mapping tool, See My Water Quality interactive portal, WaterTalk community forums, WaterWise conservation credits, Odd/Even lawn watering policy, Fire Hydrant Services, EBPP electronic billing, What About Water? podcast, and a HomeServe partnership for home repair plans. The utility also maintains an Innovation in Water Research Fund for emerging contaminant research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Supply and Distribution Service Drinking water supply and distribution service to approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents across 6,000 miles of water main; operates as one of the largest groundwater-based water suppliers in the United States with quarterly usage-based billing.
• Water Quality Testing and Treatment Service Water quality testing for 400+ compounds (251 more than required by state and federal regulators) with parts-per-trillion detection capability; advanced treatment via Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) systems for PFAS and Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) for 1,4-dioxane.
• WaterWise Conservation Program Conservation program allowing customers to conserve water at home and receive up to $250 in credits on their SCWA bill, including water-wise checkups and credit applications for eligible conservation measures.
• Fire Hydrant Services and Permits Fire hydrant maintenance, flow testing, inspection (10-month cycle), and permit issuance for approved users; supports local fire departments and emergency response with 34,500 public hydrants across the service territory. Permits are non-potable use only and expire December 31 of each year.
• HomeServe Home Repair Plans (Service Line Protection) Optional home repair protection plans offered through a partnership with HomeServe, covering service line repairs on customer property that are not covered by SCWA and are often excluded from homeowners insurance; completely voluntary for homeowners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 504 main breaks repaired in record winter season (December-February 2026)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• HomeServeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 January 2026SCWA partnered with HomeServe to educate homeowners about their service line responsibilities and introduce optional protection plans for water and sewer lines connecting homes to utility systems. The program is completely voluntary for homeowners, provided at no cost to SCWA, with no public funds used to administer it. HomeServe facilitates repairs, pays contractors directly up to benefit amounts, and provides a one-year repair guarantee.
• Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection (LICAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLICAP is a bi-county effort to identify threats to Long Island's sole source aquifer and provide a blueprint for regional management of Long Island's groundwater resources. LICAP presents WaterTraq, the first GIS-based water quality database in New York State. SCWA CEO Jeff Szabo serves as LICAP Chairman. LICAP coordinates regional responses to shared challenges and advocates for strong state and federal protections.
• Stony Brook Center for Clean Water TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCWA awarded the inaugural grant from its new Innovation in Water Research Fund to the Stony Brook Center for Clean Water Technology (CCWT) to research new carbon sources for PFAS removal systems. This partnership supports SCWA's goal to advance research and innovation in the water industry.
• Suffolk CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuffolk County partnered with SCWA to fully fund the South River Road water main extension project, eliminating connection costs for Medford and Bellport residents impacted by PFAS contamination. The project extends 4,660 feet of water main to connect up to 20 homes. County Executive Ed Romaine praised SCWA's leadership in water quality protection.
• Village of SaltaireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCWA entered a 40-year agreement to operate the Saltaire public water system on Fire Island, managing 456 service connections and 62 fire hydrants. This follows assumption of the West Gilgo Beach water system in October 2025.
• Suffolk County Sheriff's OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCWA partnered with Suffolk County Sheriff's Office to host Pharmaceutical Take Back Day events, helping residents safely dispose of unneeded or expired medications to prevent substances from entering the drinking water supply.
• Good Samaritan Hospital Center for Pediatric CareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCWA continued its partnership with Good Samaritan's Center for Pediatric Care in Babylon, providing reusable water bottles to children seen by the Center's specialists each day to promote hydration among children.
• Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, Local 393coreOthersSCWA reached a new eight-year collective bargaining agreement with UWUA Local 393 covering employees in SCWA's nationally recognized water quality laboratory. Also reached new agreement for laboratory employees in December 2025.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• New York City Department of Environmental Protection: Largest municipal water supplier in the US (upstate surface water + tunnel system), serving ~8M NYC residents. Comparable as another large NY-state public water utility that serves a multi-million-resident service area with rigorous regulatory compliance and large-scale infrastructure renewal.
• Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America): Multi-state regulated water and natural gas utility (~$2.5B revenue) operating across 10+ states. Comparable as a large investor-owned water and wastewater operator with an active M&A roll-up strategy in municipal water systems — directly relevant to SCWA's service-area-expansion playbook.
• California Water Service: Investor-owned water utility serving ~2M people across California, with active groundwater and surface water treatment, PFAS compliance programs, and large capital plans. Comparable scale, regulated rate-base model, and emphasis on water-quality compliance under tightening contaminant regulation.
• Veolia Water North America: Operates and maintains municipal water and wastewater systems across the US through long-term O&M contracts. Comparable as a water-quality compliance operator providing scale and emerging-contaminant treatment expertise to municipal systems — relevant counterparty for SCWA's PFAS/1,4-dioxane technology needs.
• SJW Group (Connecticut Water / San Jose Water): Investor-owned water utility holding company serving customers in California, Connecticut, and Texas. Comparable scale and regulated rate-base model, with active acquisition strategy in fragmented municipal water markets — parallel to SCWA's regional consolidation theme.
• Liberty Utilities: Multi-utility operating local water, wastewater, electric, and gas distribution in ~13 US states including New York. Comparable as a private-sector operator stepping into municipal water system management, offering a benchmark for O&M/asset transfer models SCWA uses (e.g., Saltaire, West Gilgo Beach).

Direct peers

• New Jersey American Water (American Water): Largest investor-owned water utility in New Jersey, providing water and wastewater service under state PUC regulation. Comparable regulatory model, customer scale, and Northeast US operating environment to SCWA, with similar focus on main renewal and PFAS response.
• Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA): Wholesale water supplier serving 3 million people in the greater Boston area via a large surface-water system. Comparable as a regional Northeast public water authority focused on large-scale water treatment, infrastructure, and PFAS/emerging contaminant compliance.
• Water Authority of Western Nassau County: Neighboring Long Island public water authority serving western Nassau County via the same sole-source aquifer as SCWA. Directly comparable in geography, source water, regulatory framework, and customer type — the closest geographic peer to SCWA.

Others

• Long Island Water Conference (LIWC): Industry association representing Long Island water utilities and districts. Relevant as an industry/peer coordination forum in which SCWA's leadership holds senior positions — comparable as a collaborative peer ecosystem rather than a commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/suffolkwater
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SuffolkCountyWaterAuthority
• Facebookfacebook.com/suffolkwater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/suffolk-county-water-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/suffolk_water

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Suffolk County Water Authority