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Protecting Water at the Source: How Brookhaven's Land Acquisition Efforts Advance Long Island's Water Quality Goals
Across New York State, land conservation has become an increasingly important tool for protecting water quality, preserving ecosystems, and supporting healthy communities. Because Long Island relies entirely on groundwater for its drinking water supply, the health of the region's aquifer is directly connected to how land is used and managed. Every forest, meadow, wetland, and undeveloped parcel helps filter water, replenish groundwater, and reduce the risk of pollutants reaching the aquifer.
For years, the Town of Brookhaven has embraced a proactive approach to land conservation through a series of land acquisition projects. Since 2019, the town has secured nine grants totaling $3,649,500 from sources such as the New York State Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) Program, the New York State Community Forest Program, and the New York State Bond Act.
These projects have focused on preserving strategically located parcels within critical groundwater recharge areas. Collectively, they represent a long-term investment in protecting groundwater quality and limiting future pollution.
At the center of that effort is Luke Ormand, Principal Environmental Analyst for Brookhaven's Division of Land Management. In a recent conversation, Luke walked us through the town's approach to land acquisition and demonstrated why protecting even a small parcel today can make a big difference.
Protecting Water Before It Becomes Polluted
Land acquisition and other source water protection strategies are often described as the first line of defense for drinking water quality. Rather than addressing pollution after it enters groundwater or local waterways, source water protection focuses on preventing contamination from occurring in the first place.
On Long Island, this strategy is particularly important because rainwater that falls on forests, wetlands, and open spaces naturally infiltrates the ground, replenishing the aquifer, while helping to filter some pollutants. When these lands are developed, impervious surfaces such as roads, rooftops, and parking lots increase stormwater runoff which can carry nitrogen and other contaminants into groundwater and nearby surface waters. By preserving sensitive recharge areas, communities can reduce the potential for future nitrogen loading while maintaining the natural systems that help protect groundwater and surface waters. This preventative approach complements broader efforts across the region to reduce pollution through wastewater infrastructure improvements, septic system upgrades, and stormwater management.
Luke explains the connection: "Every parcel that remains undeveloped is a parcel that helps filter pollutants, recharges the aquifer, and doesn't introduce new nitrogen, fertilizers, or other contaminants. In twenty or thirty years, there may be contaminants in our drinking water that we're not testing for right now. The more proactive we are, the better it is for public health, the overall environment, and certainly cheaper for everybody in the long run."
He notes that even the most robust stormwater infrastructure has limits. "We had a storm a couple years ago that saw nine inches of rainfall and took out an earthen dam in Stony Brook. It doesn't matter how big your recharge basins are. It doesn't matter how much piping you have. A storm like that will simply overwhelm the system. The more forested land you have, the more natural filtration you can have, the more uptake you can have from vegetation, and vegetated parcels greatly reduce the energy of stormwater flow,” Luke described.
What Makes a Parcel a Strong Acquisition Candidate
Turning that strategy into practice starts with choosing the right land. Not every parcel is a good candidate for preservation. The Town’s Division of Land Management uses an internal rating system to evaluate properties across a range of environmental criteria: proximity to surface water, groundwater drinking zones, presence of rare species, location within designated recharge areas, and potential drainage benefits.
"We're trying to maximize preserving what's left by focusing on the parcels that check boxes like environmentally sensitive areas, areas where people rely on wells, and areas with known drainage problems," said Luke.
Brookhaven also has tools to shape how land is developed and to carve out preservation areas in the process. “Cluster design” development concentrates homes on smaller lots while setting aside the remaining land as permanently protected open space. "By doing clusters, we take all the natural vegetation and set it aside as town land that is permanently protected. In exchange, the homeowner gets a smaller lot that they can clear and build on freely. So, it works out for the property owners as well," said Luke.
The alternative to cluster design is relying on clearing limit restrictions that individual property owners are expected to honor. When a land division or subdivision is approved by the Town Board of Zoning Appeals or the Planning Board, these Boards often impose restrictions on how much of the property can be cleared. These restrictions are intended to protect the natural woodlands on the property, but over time as properties pass through owners, these protected areas can be encroached upon (mistakenly or otherwise) and the Town then has to take enforcement action. However, once mature trees are removed, replacing them with saplings and small shrubs can take decades to provide the same environmental benefits. "We quickly learned that it was really not a great way to do things and we have tried our best to get away from that and just cluster away any clearing limits," said Luke. Cluster development removes the clearing limit from individual lots and places all of the required natural vegetation within the public trust.
Recent Acquisitions
Brookhaven's acquisition portfolio spans decades and multiple environmental priorities, each reflecting the town's focus on lands where preservation can make the greatest long-term difference for groundwater quality, flood resilience, and ecological health.
One of the earliest WQIP-funded projects came in 2019, when the town acquired a parcel in Yaphank within a designated Special Groundwater Protection Area and the contributing area to the Carmans River watershed. The Carmans River is one of Long Island's most significant river systems and is directly connected to groundwater conditions throughout its watershed. That acquisition grew out of a broader planning effort that gave the town a precise picture of where groundwater recharge is most critical. “We recognized that the Carmans River is a special place on Long Island. There’s a significant amount of fresh water that’s coming out and going into Great South Bay. So, anything that’s undeveloped in that area, we want to try to pursue an acquisition of,” said Luke.
More recent acquisitions have focused on the Compatible Growth Area of the Central Pine Barrens, whose extensive forests and highly permeable soils recharge the aquifer while supporting wildlife habitat. In 2023, the town secured WQIP funding to acquire approximately four acres within the Pine Barrens, followed by an additional award in 2025 to protect another forested parcel over the sole-source aquifer. While small in acreage, these projects help reduce fragmentation of environmentally sensitive land.
The Town's 2024 Elm Street acquisition adds another dimension: three undeveloped, forested parcels within a Special Groundwater Protection Area that also sits within a potential environmental justice area and is surrounded by development dependent upon private drinking wells. By permanently protecting these lands, the project safeguards drinking water resources while ensuring the benefits of environmental protection are shared across all communities.
Thinking Proactively About Stormwater and Climate
Luke's work extends beyond protecting forested parcels. In recent years, the town has increasingly pursued acquisitions specifically designed to address stormwater and flooding issues or to prevent future issues before they develop.
He described a recent acquisition in Rocky Point which included two parcels, one with a small house, on a site with a 50-foot grade change and significant existing drainage concerns. To an outside observer, the purchase might seem unclear. To Luke, it was straightforward. “Some people said, ‘Why is the town buying this tiny house?’ You can’t put a recharge basin in there because of the way the topography is, but we recognized that there are two lots that someone can buy and develop with retaining walls, concrete patios, asphalt driveways, and change all the grading. So, we said, ‘We’re going to acquire it and add it to our existing natural drainage portfolio'. We’re going to remove the house and we’re going to let the grass area revert back to natural vegetation to lessen stormwater impacts.” Making good on that promise, the Town recently removed the house and sanitary system.
The Town did similar work in East Patchogue following Superstorm Sandy, converting acquired waterfront properties into a living shoreline and refurbishing an outdated storm drain system that had been discharging directly into the Great South Bay, allowing high tide events to backflow through the drain and flood the area. "We secured a grant from Suffolk County not only to do the living shoreline, but also to redo the drains and raise the roads that were constantly being flooded. We were able to be proactive and say, here's an opportunity, what else can we do that's going to fix this problem?” said Luke.
Looking Ahead
As development pressures continue across Long Island, opportunities to preserve undeveloped land may become increasingly limited. Projects like those undertaken by the Town of Brookhaven demonstrate how local governments can take proactive steps to protect our water resources before they are threatened.
"Forever is a long time. We've acquired a lot of properties. The more land that we can buy now that can be preserved, the more smart acquisitions that we can make, the better position that we're going to put Brookhaven in," said Luke.
Through sustained investment, strong partnerships with New York State, and strategic use of the WQIP program, Brookhaven has established itself as a leader in land acquisition for Long Island.
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