Local Control Means Lower Water Rates

    February 9, 2010, South Farmingdale, NYThe South Farmingdale Water District today has issued a clarification and response to recent reports about dramatic differences in water costs in adjacent communities.

    SFWD is a public utility, run by local commissioners.  The district runs a fiscally sound operation and is held accountable to the community it serves.  Because it is a local government, non-profit entity, there is no profit motive.  Rates are set by actual operational expenses.

    SFWD commissioners and some employees have life-long roots in the community, and great care is given to maintaining the highest quality of water at the lowest price possible. 

    The facts are simple:  Unlike Private water utilities, SFWD water rates are about 2% below the national average (source: American Waterworks Associations) and that the consumer water tax is less than 1.7% of the total tax bill.

    The South Farmingdale Water District has been maintaining and delivering an uninterrupted supply of the water to customers since 1931.

    To that end, the District ensures public health and safety, actively promotes the conservation of our most precious resource, cooperates with all local and New York State authorities, and pledges to fulfill this mission in an efficient, economical and environmentally sound manner.  Customer service is provided to the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

    About the South Farmingdale Water District

    Since 1931, SFWD has been providing clean, quality water to the communities it serves, including South Farmingdale, North Massapequa, and parts of Bethpage, Seaford, and Massapequa Park. For more information please contact the South Farmingdale Water District’s office at 40 Langdon Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735.  Telephone: (516) 249-3330.

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    From the Desk of Charlie Prucha

    November 8, 2009, South Farmingdale, NYWe hope everyone has been enjoying the fall weather as the holiday season quickly approaches. We’re doing our part to ‘Be Green’ and converse wherever possible.  And you can do your part during the winter months.  South Farmingdale Water District offers several suggestions to help promote water conservation and specific green initiatives within our homes and community.

    Winterizing Tips During The Fall and Winter Season:

    1. If water pipes are located in an unheated area of your house, cover the pipes with insulation to prevent freezing.
    2. Disconnect all outdoor hoses, turn off the water leading outdoors and open each outdoor faucet.
    3. Know where your shut-off valve is located in case of emergency
    4. Keep any fire hydrant on your property clear of snow.

    Water Faucet Conservation Tips:

    A faucet that drips once every second can waste 8 gallons of water in one day or more than 3,000 gallons in one year. Non-conserving showerheads use 5 to 8 gallons per minute, consuming up to 80 gallons of water for a 10-minute shower. By using low flow showerheads, customers can save more than 24 gallons of water per shower, while improving faucet performance.

    Standard kitchen faucets use 4 to 7 gallons of water per minute, consuming up to 120 gallons of water to wash a sink full of dishes. Installing a high-efficiency faucet aerator results in a flow rate of 1 to 2.75 gallons per minute and increases the area of coverage, improving faucet performance. This reduces water usage by about 50 percent.

    Save Money By Using SFWD’s FREE Water Bottles!

    If you think about it, designer water comes from the same aquifers as regular tap water. So here’s a great way for you to save money, protect the environment from plastic bottles and skip out on buying bottled water.  For the last year, the SFWD has been providing residents with FREE water bottles to fill up with great tasting tap water.

    Savings to the consumer can be immense. The average consumer pays about $1.46 for a 20-ounce bottle of water from a convenience store. By comparison, $1.25 pays for about 1,000 gallons of water from the SFWD tap. Using those figures, 1,000 gallons of bottled water would cost $9,344.

    For more information or to leave comments, suggestions or feedback, please contact me directly at: (516) 249-3330.

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    South Farmingdale Water District Launches New and Improved Website
    New Features Offer Educational Resources and Updated Service Information For Farmingdale and Massapequa Communities

    November 13, 2009, South Farmingdale, NYThe South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) announced today the launch of its new and improved website at www.sfwater.com. The revamped and revised site offers a host of new online features that provide customers with the most up-to-date services and information available.

    Among the site’s many new technical features, navigation has been streamlined, making it much more user-friendly for customers. The newly created “Information Resource Center” provides information regarding emergency notifications, ordinances, public notices and helpful links.  The SFWD site also provides downloadable PDFs of the most current drinking water quality reports and seasonal newsletters.

    Online visitors will also have access to topical news releases and public service announcements such as the District’s FREE water bottle program and immediate safety and maintenance alerts. As an online resource, the District provides a variety of educational information on backflow prevention devices, proper installation and usage of lawn irrigation systems and water conservation practices.

    According to SFWD Commissioner John Hirt, the newly revised website is a powerful tool used to stay connected to the community at large. “As a service provider, we communicate with our customers on a regular basis and it’s essential for us to create a more robust online forum which will provide information instantaneously.”

    About the South Farmingdale Water District

    Since 1931, SFWD has been providing clean, quality water to the communities it serves, including South Farmingdale, North Massapequa, and parts of Bethpage, Seaford, Massapequa Park and East Massapequa. For more information please contact the South Farmingdale Water District’s office at 40 Langdon Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735.  Telephone: (516) 249-3330.

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    SFWD Alert: Help Keep Fire Hydrants Visible

    December 22, 2008, South Farmingdale, NY - South Farmingdale Water District officials urgently request that citizens keep fire hydrants clear of snow and other obstructions this winter.

    Weather predictions are warning us to brace for severe snow and ice during the upcoming months. These conditions can quickly cover fire hydrants, making it difficult for firefighters to find them in an emergency situation. The time lost while searching for a nearby hydrant can cost lives as well as property loss, so keeping them easy to see is an important public safety issue.

    SFWD requests residents to be aware of neighborhood hydrants during snowy weather and to remove snow around them so they can be seen from all directions. It is necessary to keep the area around them clear and the snow brushed off so they are easily visible to emergency personnel.

    The SFWD supports an aggressive maintenance program at every level of operation. An important example is the ongoing maintenance of our fire hydrants, a public safety measure often taken for granted. Hydrants require regular painting to remain visible to firefighters and traffic. The District repainted all hydrants recently in preparation for this coming winter.

    The SFWD also routinely tests all hydrants for performance, inspect them for leaks, and flush them to keep maximum pressure. Our technicians are trained to respond to any damage, leaks or accidents. The District believes that this attention to detail and accent on public safety is a major advantage to local management and control of our water district.

    The water commissioners commented, “We live in the South Farmingdale Water District, and we are highly aware of fiscal, safety and operational issues that affect us all. We respond to and manage the water supply from a deep sense of personal responsibility to our community. Our maintenance program stays within our annual budget, and we thank all our consumers in advance for their cooperation in keeping fire hydrants visible this winter.”

    For more information please contact the South Farmingdale Water District’s office at 40 Langdon Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735. Telephone: (516) 249-3330.

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    South Farmingdale Water District Reminds Consumers of Free Water Bottle Program

    The South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) is stepping up promotion of their public service program of providing its residents with free water bottles to fill up with great tasting tap water. The campaign aims to save consumers money, protect the environment, and help raise awareness of the high quality of water in the district.

    Suffolk County Water Authority recently announced a similar program, which the South Farmingdale Water District has had in place for a number of years. With both utilities actively giving free water bottles to their customers, Long Island is among the leading regions nationally in the water industry to embark on such an effort.

    Savings to the consumer can be immense. The average consumer pays about $1.46 for a 20-ounce bottle of water from a convenience store. By comparison, $1.25 pays for about 1,000 gallons of water from the SFWD tap. Using those figures, the 1,000 gallons of bottled water would cost $9,344!

    SFWD provides water for over 44,000 people in South Farmingdale, and the quality and characteristics of that water has rated to be among the best in the country, surpassing government standards. Charlie Prucha, Superintendent of SFWD comments, "No water bought on the shelf can measure up to the quality of our local water supply. It is constantly monitored for quality and safety."

    It has long been known that plastic bottles, especially in the numbers sold, are an environmental nightmare. They are seen discarded along roadsides, in parks, and in public places as unsightly garbage. Recycling helps, although the energy consumed to process them is expensive in the light of rapidly rising fuel costs. If they are tossed in the trash, they take up vast amounts of landfill space.

    National figures tell us that in 2005 there were 2.3 billion bottles of water consumed in New York State alone, and 80% of those bottles were not recycled. In light of these figures, the significance of the SFWD bottle giveaway is tremendous, in savings to the consumer, in protection to our environment, and in cutting energy costs needed to manufacture and recycle commercial single-use water bottles.

    Superintendent Prucha also remarks, "We're glad to do our part to help the environment.  How many times do you see plastic water bottles on the side of the road? That's why we urge our residents to come down to the district and request a free water bottle and fill it with the best tap water around."

    The free water bottles are made from recycled, non-leaching durable plastic, and can be used many times. All that is required is a simple washing to keep them reusable. Residents can pick-up their free water bottle at the water district’s main office at 40 Langdon Road, in Farmingdale. There is a limit of two water bottles per household. For more information, contact the district at (516) 249-3330.

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