Our News

1. South Farmingdale Water District Releases 2004 Drinking Water Quality Report Water Passes All Standards With Positive Results
2. Water District Rolls Out Capital Improvement Program
3. Water District, Civic Leaders Confer On Local Groundwater Issue

South Farmingdale Water District Releases 2004 Drinking Water Quality Report Water Passes All Standards With Positive Results

The South Farmingdale Water District announces the release of their 2004 Drinking Water Quality Report as part of its Spring 2005 newsletter.

The report is required to be delivered to all residents of the district in compliance with federal and state regulations. Compiled by a local engineering firm H2M, it is designed to inform all district residents about the quality of the water and services delivered daily.

“The water district’s continuing goal is to provide our customers with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water each and every day,” said William Bier, Superintendent of the South Farmingdale Water District. “We’re happy to report that there are no violations of any drinking water standards. We encourage our customers to request a copy of the report and share it with others.”

The report includes information such as: cost of water, daily water rates, water conservation measures, a table of detected parameters and water treatment, and water quality statistics.

If you did not receive a copy of the 2004 Drinking Water Quality Report, or if you would like to receive an additional free copy and supplemental data, contact the district’s office at (516) 249-3330.

>>back to top

Water District Rolls Out Capital Improvement Program
Short and long term projects promote quality, efficiency

The South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) last week unveiled a five-year capital improvement program that’s designed to enhance key service and distribution areas over the immediate and long-term future.

With overall funding already in place, the program is in its initial stages with work presently being conducted in three key areas.

Water Main Replacement
The district has replaced an aging water main on Carmans Road in Massapequa with a new, 12-inch wide line. District commissioners say the new main will provide more water to homes and businesses more efficiently than its antiquated predecessor did before the conversion.

“This project began in March and was finished during the summer season on time and on budget with minimal disruptions to traffic flow, water delivery or quality,” said Commissioner Gerard McCormack. “A priority of the district is to not inconvenience our customers. We made sure we followed through on our promise.”

New Well At Plant #2
Residents near Lourae Drive may have noticed drilling going on during the latter part of the summer as a new, 600-foot well went into the ground. The new well replaced an asset originally built in 1955 at a depth of 300 feet. It uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver water that’s been rated “good” to “excellent” based on sample testing done over time at the site.

Had the new site not been installed, SFWD would have faced expensive repairs and upgrades at the site just to bring it within performance standard.

Back Up Generators and Increased Security
Given the real world experiences faced over the last couple of years, SFWD has taken steps to enhance security and operations throughout its service area.

New generators will be embedded within the district’s network…such as the ones that were put to the test during the infamous blackout of August, 2003.

As Commissioner McCormack commented, “That event put us in a position to implement our emergency response plan and it passed with flying colors. Our backup generators kicked in to keep our water flowing, and our customers continued to receive the kind of service and quality they were accustomed to on a daily basis.”

Security measures will also be increased to safeguard the water supply. Though he didn’t elaborate, McCormack said the district has specific plans and protocols in place that have raised a protective net around potentially vulnerable assets.

>>back to top

Water District, Civic Leaders Confer On Local Groundwater Issue

The South Farmingdale Water District, together with environmental engineers from The H2M Group, has initiated a series of public forums in an effort to maintain clarity over a groundwater issue being monitored along the district’s northern boundary. Representatives from three local civic groups were among those who participated in the first session.

The discussions center on the existence of an underground plume of chemical solvents that is moving toward two of the utility’s well stations. Engineers expect the plume to encroach upon the well sites within the next 10 years and have already prepared remediation plans. The plume is composed of volatile organic compounds or solvents once used to break down grease at the former Grumman Aerospace plant and Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant sites in Bethpage. It reportedly originated in the 1940s during aircraft manufacturing activities at the time, prior to more stringent environmental codes for on-site waste management.

The site is now owned by Northrop-Grumman, a major contractor to the U.S. Navy. Details concerning the plume and its ramifications were presented to area civic leaders at the district’s headquarters earlier this month. Representatives from the Concerned Citizens Assoc. of Farmingdale, Citizens for Pure Water, and the North Massapequa Civic Association were given a full report on the plume’s history along with a preliminary view over precautionary measures being taken to safeguard the water supply long-term.

“The first message consumers need to understand is this; the water quality in the South Farmingdale Water District is absolutely safe and in excellent quality,” said Gerald McCormack, Commissioner. “What we are doing today with our monitoring activities and other efforts is aimed at maintaining that assurance long term.”

To negate the plume’s affect on the area’s water supply, the district intends to use filtration technology in the field, the costs of which are being discussed in negotiations between the district and the U.S. Navy.

“The district is orchestrating a concerted effort to minimize any negative impact this plume may have on the quality of our water supply and costs to our taxpayers for treatment,” McCormack said. “Our goal is to insulate our consumers from any costs associated with this situation.”

Additional public meetings will be scheduled as further details emerge. Anyone interested in learning more can contact the district at (516) 249-3330.

>>back to top