Company Shames Hamptons' Uber

The Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA) published a list earlier this month that spotlighted the top "water hogs" in the Hamptons — and it showed that several mutli-millionaires and a billionaire use more than a 100-times the average homeowner in the area.

The water company has been imploring home-owners in the county to cut back on water usage amid a historic water shortage. The SCWA said the homeowners' water consumption could hike water prices for their neighbors and threaten the ability of firefighters to deliver water to their hoses in the event of an emergency, local news reported.

Last month, the SCWA called for citizens to "refrain from all non-essential water usage," reduce shower times, and halt irrigation between certain hours of the day. The group declared a Level 1 water emergency, saying the county's water tower could not keep up with usage.

The list of top water users in the county includes several residents of so-called "Billionaire's Lane," a road in the Hamptons' that is known for its uber-wealthy homeowners, including Wall Street execs, CEOs, and Hollywood stars.

The list included billionaire Jonathan Tisch. The CEO of luxury hospitality company Loews Hotels and co-owner of the New York Giants used over 7 million gallons of water over the last year, according to the company.

The water company, which compiled the list, said the average homeowner in the area uses about 130,000 gallons per year. The average US household uses less than 110,00 gallons of water a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Hamptons list also included the wife of Oscar-winner Akiva Goldsmith, Joann Goldsman, and co-founder of Sun Capital, Marc Leder — each used 9 million and 6.9 million gallons of water in the last 12 months, respectively, the company said.

Spokespeople for Tisch and Goldsmith didn't respond to a request for comment ahead of publication.

The SCWA attributed the high water usage to geothermal heating and cooling systems, as well as the upkeep for the wealthy residents' expansive multi-million dollar estates.

"We know property managers are under pressure to make sure the lawn is looking perfect," SCWA's deputy chief executive officer, Joe Pokorny, said in a statement in July. "But there is a savings if you can keep yourself in the lower tier. We encourage everyone, regardless of property size, to use water-saving devices. There are sprinkler controls that have Wi-Fi and communicate with the weather service so it knows when rain is forecast and it won't water."

Many of the wealthy are known for their luxurious estates that come with massive swimming pools, as well as well-manicured lawns and gardens — all factors that can contribute to high water consumption.

For example, Leder is known for the parties he throws at his $20 million mansion. The sprawling 8,000 square-foot home has a large pool and lawn to boot. Similarly, Tisch's 7-bedroom and 6-bathroom house spans over 9,000 square-feet and a four acre lot.

The highest water user in the area was Ickenham Limited, an estate owned by a Manhattan real estate company. The household used over 16 million gallons of water between June 2021 and July 2022.

Read the full list here.

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