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SFWD Begins Construction of Treatment Facilities May 17, 2010, South Farmingdale, NY — The South Farmingdale Water District began construction on a new water treatment system to impede the impending plume of contamination heading towards the District. SFWD determined that it could not wait or tolerate any further delays from the United States Navy to build the necessary treatment facilities, so the District was approved for an $18 million dollar bond from the Town of Oyster Bay.
As reported by SFWD, the District was approached in November 2000 by the United States Navy regarding a widespread groundwater contamination plume flowing in a southerly direction towards several SFWD well fields. This plume is the result of soil and significant groundwater contamination containing volatile organic compounds from the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant at Grumman in Bethpage, NY from several decades prior. The U.S. Navy agreed that if contamination from their site was identified in the outpost monitoring wells they would pay for all future costs that water suppliers would incur for the required treatment facilities or abandonment and replacement of the respective wells. The Navy developed a water contingency plan in connection with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) that resulted in the Navy constructing outpost monitoring wells upgradient of Plant 1 in SFWD. In 2004 the outpost monitoring wells upgradient of Plant 1 indicated that they were impacted by contamination from the Grumman/Naval sites at levels above the trigger values agreed to by the U.S. Navy, DEC and SFWD. The Navy had been in general accord with the necessary treatment facilities; however, final resolution and execution of the settlement agreement was not a priority within the U.S. Department of Justice until 2009. Finally late last year, after five years of deliberating, the two parties reached an agreement and the U.S. Navy settled the case with SFWD. Moving forward, the District could not defer the construction of the treatment facility any longer and wait for the Navy to provide the necessary funds to meet this critical need. The SFWD Board of Commissioners continued to express its concern that one or more of the wells could be impacted before the construction of the treatment facilities is complete. Please remember all water is safe to drink. During the course of the settlement, the District received an overwhelming amount of support from local civic leaders, Town of Oyster Bay elected officials and United States Senator Charles E. Schumer. “We’re happy with the settlement, but we’re still waiting for the check,” commented Ralph Atoria, SFWD Water Commissioner. “Our number one priority is to protect our consumers’ precious water supply and that’s why we had to bond the project so we can begin construction. It’s our responsibility to provide high quality water, and this is not a time to be reactive and wait for the Navy’s cooperation.” Construction of the treatment facility should be completed and in full operation by late spring 2011.
Local Control Means Lower Water Rates February 9, 2010, South Farmingdale, NY — The 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.
From the Desk of Charlie Prucha
Winterizing Tips During The Fall and Winter Season: 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.South Farmingdale Water District Launches New and Improved Website
November 13, 2009, South Farmingdale, NY — The 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.South Farmingdale Water District Reminds Consumers of Free Water Bottle Program
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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November 8, 2009, South Farmingdale, NY — 