Shelter Island sets Sept. 21 hearing on proposed irrigation regulations to protect sole-source aquifer
August 31, 2026 | Shelter Island, Suffolk County, New York
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The Shelter Island Town Board on Aug. 31 directed that a public hearing be held Sept. 21, 2026, at 6 p.m. on a proposed local law entitled “Town of Shelter Island Irrigation Regulations Local Law.” The draft ordinance would amend Chapter 82 to require permits for turf irrigation systems, set operational limits on watering, and add enforcement penalties.
The proposal establishes a Maximum Permissible Chloride Level of 125 milligrams per liter for aquifer-drawn irrigation systems in near-shore and peninsular overlay zones and requires annual chloride testing for those systems as a condition of permit renewal. The draft also requires cisterns for new turf irrigation systems (a 20,000-gallon minimum for new turf systems is specified in § 82-7) and allows grandfathered systems limited replacement but not expansion beyond pre-1997 permit areas. The law text says the Town Board reserves the right to “adjust or eliminate the irrigation regulations as water conditions change.”
The draft ordinance sets operational restrictions—no zone may operate more frequently than every third day and only between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., with watering limited to up to 30 minutes per zone per cycle (no more than one inch per week). It also describes testing, recordkeeping and permanent-bar consequences for repeated chloride-test failures, including a one-time retest window in May and permanent permit bars for repeat failures.
Why it matters: The text frames the change as protection for Shelter Island’s sole-source freshwater aquifer and to reduce the risk of saltwater intrusion. The board’s action only schedules a hearing; adoption would require further board action after public comment. The draft local law would take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State if adopted.
The proposal establishes a Maximum Permissible Chloride Level of 125 milligrams per liter for aquifer-drawn irrigation systems in near-shore and peninsular overlay zones and requires annual chloride testing for those systems as a condition of permit renewal. The draft also requires cisterns for new turf irrigation systems (a 20,000-gallon minimum for new turf systems is specified in § 82-7) and allows grandfathered systems limited replacement but not expansion beyond pre-1997 permit areas. The law text says the Town Board reserves the right to “adjust or eliminate the irrigation regulations as water conditions change.”
The draft ordinance sets operational restrictions—no zone may operate more frequently than every third day and only between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., with watering limited to up to 30 minutes per zone per cycle (no more than one inch per week). It also describes testing, recordkeeping and permanent-bar consequences for repeated chloride-test failures, including a one-time retest window in May and permanent permit bars for repeat failures.
Why it matters: The text frames the change as protection for Shelter Island’s sole-source freshwater aquifer and to reduce the risk of saltwater intrusion. The board’s action only schedules a hearing; adoption would require further board action after public comment. The draft local law would take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State if adopted.
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