Suffolk County Water Authority sues Riverhead Town over North Fork pipeline project

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The Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) has sued the Town of Riverhead in State Supreme Court, challenging the Town Board's determination that SCWA must comply with local zoning and land-use requirements for its proposed North Fork Water Main Project. SCWA is seeking a judgment declaring the project exempt from Riverhead zoning and land-use regulation, arguing that as a public benefit corporation created to provide water service, it is exempt from local control under the Monroe balancing test.

Why it matters

The dispute centers on the extent of local government control over critical regional infrastructure projects. Riverhead officials have raised concerns about the construction impacts on Sound Avenue, a heavily trafficked road, while SCWA contends that as a public authority, it should not be subject to municipal zoning and permitting requirements that could delay the project.

The details

SCWA's North Fork Water Main Project would install about 8.15 miles of 24-inch main from Flanders Road, across the Peconic River, north along Cross River Drive and Northville Turnpike, then east on Sound Avenue to the Southold town line. A new booster station would also be built. Riverhead contends the town can apply its zoning and land-use rules to the project, while SCWA argues it is exempt under the Monroe balancing test.

• On October 7, 2025, the Riverhead Town Board determined the project was not immune from local regulation and asserted SCWA would need a series of town approvals.
• On November 20, 2025, the SCWA board applied the Monroe 'balancing of public interests' test and concluded the North Fork Water Main Project is 'undisputably' immune from municipal jurisdiction.

What’s next

The court will decide whether SCWA's North Fork Water Main Project is exempt from Riverhead's zoning and land-use regulations under the Monroe balancing test.