Grumman / Navy Plume Update

Fall 2014
From the Desk of the Superintendent
Board of Water Commisioners
Thomas P. Hand
Joseph T. Tricarico
Raymond J. Averna
Board of Commissioners Balance 2015 Budget Without Any
Increase for Third Consecutive Year!
Superintendent
Stanley Carey
Business Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.
www.massapequawater.com
I am pleased to present this issue of
Water Talk to the residents of Massapequa Water District. With the adoption of the 2015 budget, progress
on the Grumman/Navy plume, and
several infrastructure projects completed, there is a great deal to report.
At the September 10th Board meeting,
the Board of Commissioners adopted
24-Hour Emergency Hotline
the 2015 budget. The proposed budget
516-852-0196
required a public hearing which was held
on September 4th and was posted in both
of the local Massapequa newspapers. The Board adopted a budget which has no increases proposed for 2015. This means a
0 % tax increase and no rate increase for next year. The District was able to “hold the line” due to the implementation of several
cost saving measures. These measures include participation in the ECS energy curtailment program, membership in a joint
purchasing cooperative, and the procurement of lower cost insurance policies. This is the third consecutive year the Board of
Commissioners have produced a balanced budget without any type of increase. This budget has been accepted by the Town of
Oyster Bay.
Grumman / Navy Plume Update
The District continues to advocate for the proper
remediation of the Grumman / Navy plume which
remains a potential threat to the District’s water supply. On July 22nd, the District met with officials from
the Navy and Grumman to discuss how the monitoring well construction is progressing. It was welcome news to learn that the wells are on schedule
and that no contamination has been found to date.
These monitoring wells are being located so that they
will provide an early warning prior to MWD supply
wells potentially being impacted. Depending on what
is uncovered in the remaining test well investigation
will determine which remedial steps will be taken in
the future. All results are expected to be complete
and available to MWD by early 2015. The area south
of Hempstead Turnpike remains a serious concern to
the District. The District will continue to meet with
Continued on page 2
Massapequa Water District Commissioners Thomas Hand, Raymond Averna
and Joseph Tricarico receive an update on the Plume from Superintendent
Stan Carey at a recent meeting.
Grumman / Navy Plume Update
Continued from page 1
elected officials and demand the strategic containment of this plume. Back in June a bill sponsored by Assemblyman
Joseph Saladino passed in both the NYS Assembly and Senate. This bill calls for the NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation to study the feasibility of containing the Bethpage Groundwater plume and produce a report. This bill is
awaiting the signature of Governor Cuomo. In addition to these efforts the Superintendent spoke at a public hearing held
in September at the newly formed Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection (LICAP). At this hearing Superintendent Carey presented a strong statement, on behalf of residents, to properly address the groundwater contamination that
is presenting a threat to water suppliers. The Massapequa Water District is committed to supplying its residents with a
clean and safe water supply.
New
New Supervisor
Supervisor of
of Water
Water Treatment
Treatment
Operations
Starts
at
District
Operations Starts at District
The Massapequa Water District is pleased to announce the
hiring of John Speciale as the new Supervisor of Water Treatment Operations. Back in July, long time employee Andy Colapinto retired after 12 years of service to the District. The
District wishes Andy the best in his retirement. New Supervisor John Speciale brings 28 years of experience in both Water
Treatment and Distribution to the Massapequa Water District.
John holds a grade 1B Water Treatment certificate and grade D
Distribution systems certificate issued by the New York State
Department of Health. One of John’s chief priorities will be the
proper balance of the water treatment process at the Districts
9 wells and storage tank sites. John stated “I look forward to this opportunity to bring my experience to the District” John
further stated “I take the water treatment process extremely serious as well as the protection of public health”. John will also
be charged with administering the New York State mandated sampling program which includes the testing of the water supply
for various constituents on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
The Water Treatment Process - What is Added to the Water Supply?
Chlorine- The addition of chlorine is mandated by the State and local Health Departments. Public Water Suppliers must maintain a
chlorine residual, the presence of chlorine at the furthest points of a distribution system. The addition of chlorine prevents harmful
bacteria from entering or growing in a water system. The advantages of adding chlorine greatly out way any potential disadvantages.
The Massapequa Water District monitors chlorine residuals on a continuous basis at the treatment plants and weekly in the distribution system. The District also samples for the formation of THM’s or by-products of chlorine which have never been found in our water. Chlorine also oxidizes other constituents such as hydrogen sulfide and iron which are both naturally occurring in ground water.
Caustic (sodium hydroxide) – Caustic is added to the water supply to increase the natural pH of groundwater. The pH of raw water
pumped from the aquifer in the Massapequa area is very acidic ranging from 4-6 on the pH scale. This raw water is very corrosive
to water mains and customers internal home plumbing which could lead to the wearing away of piping and faucets. This process is
called corrosion control and is regulated by the US Environmental Protection Agency through the mandated Lead and Copper sampling program every three years. The Massapequa Water District maintains a somewhat neutral pH balance ranging between 7-8 on
the pH scale.
Liquid Phosphate – Phosphate is mainly added to the water supply to sequester iron. It sequesters iron, calcium, and manganese to
prevent taste and stain problems. It is important to understand phosphate does not remove iron it prevents it from coming out of
solution to cause rusty or brown water. It also reduces lead leaching from plumbing fixtures by acting as a corrosion inhibitor and
forming a protective microscopic film on all metal surfaces. It is important to note that hot water heaters set at a temperature above
135 degrees can cause the iron to come out of solution and the phosphate not to be as effective.
The addition of these chemicals is considered very basic water treatment. It is important to note that the Massapequa Water Supply
is one of the few remaining supplies on Long Island that does not have any chemical contamination requiring special carbon filters
or air strippers.
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Massapequa Water District Fall 2014 Newsletter • www.massapequawater.com
Massa
What is the Public Water Supply Tested For?
The sampling requirements for a public water supplier are very rigorous and specific. Our public water is regulated by both
the US Environmental Protection Agency and the NY State Department of Health. Massapequa Water District personnel (certified water treatment operators) collect samples from both the distribution system and all well sites on a weekly,
monthly, and quarterly basis. All chemical residual levels are monitored daily. The water supply is sampled for inorganics,
metals, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, bacteria, and radionuclides as specified by the regulatory agencies. All
samples are required to be analyzed by a USEPA Certified Laboratory. Any violations that exceed the maximum contaminate level (mcl) are required to be reported in our annual newsletter and in some cases by immediate public notification.
This has not occurred at Massapequa Water District in many years.
Recently the Massapequa Water District installed health department approved sampling stations at two locations near the
southern most sections of the distribution system. The District has been monitoring for constituents in excess of the mandated requirements for bacteria, sulfides, and residual levels out of these stations. Any resident who may be experiencing
a water quality concern please contact the office at 798-5266 to schedule a visit by one of our certified water treatment operators. During this visit a sample will be collected and analyzed for chlorine, pH, phosphate, and iron level at no charge.
Additional samples can be collected if deemed necessary. Please note District personnel carry photo identification and
wear District issued uniforms at all times.
Water Pressure Improved South of Merrick Road
The Massapequa Water District is pleased to report that the water
pressure in areas south of Merrick Road has improved 10 – 15 pounds
per square inch (psi). This is the direct result of the completion of
several capital improvement projects. The first and largest was the installation of a new 12 inch diameter transmission water main from
the May Place tank site to Lagoon Boulevard. It was discovered by
our Superintendent and confirmed through an engineering hydraulic
model that the water main capacity leaving the tank site was deficient
and required updating. In addition to this improvement, another
flow restriction was found at the western end of Lagoon Boulevard
at Biltmore Boulevard. The 6 inch diameter water main was found
to be restricting flow between two larger diameter water mains. This
main was replaced with a larger diameter water main to eliminate this
flow restriction. Lastly, one of the booster pumps at the May Place
site was upgraded to an increased capacity of 2000 gallons per minute
(gpm). After the completion of these improvements, District personnel placed pressure recorders on fire hydrants to capture the pressure
information during times of high usage. It was confirmed that the
pressure had increased by 10 – 15 pounds per square inch.
Any customer who may still feel their pressure is not adequate please
contact the District office at 798-5266 for a cost free inspection by our
staff. It is possible that you may have an internal plumbing problem
restricting the flow of water within your home. Most often this can be
a simple inexpensive fix such as eliminating any flow restriction due
to a failing check valve, a partially closed valve, or increasing the size
of a small section of plumbing within your system.
Massapequa Water District personnel downloads
pressure recording from a data logger attached to a
fire hydrant.
Massapequa Water District Fall 2014 Newsletter • www.massapequawater.com
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Massapequa Water District
84 Grand Avenue
Massapequa, NY 11758
superintendent
Stanley Carey
Business manager
Constance Belegrinos
PRSTD STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PRSTD STANDARD
PAID
U.S. POSTAGE
MASSAPEQUA, NY
PAID 11758
MASSAPEQUA,
PERMIT NY
NO. 36
11758
PERMIT NO. 36
assistant superintendent
John Speciale
office manager
Kerri Alter
Professional memBershiPs
Long Island Water Conference
Nassau-Suffolk Water Commissioners Association
Massapequa Chamber of Commerce
American Water Works Association, NYS Section - AWWA
Government Finance Officers Association
Business hours
Monday - Friday 8:00 A.M. - 4:30 P.M.
www.massapequawater.com
Winterizing Solutions at Home
24-hour emergency number:
516-852-0196
As we move closer to winter, there are a few items
the Massapequa Water District would like residents
to keep in mind as the temperature continues to fall.
Massapequa Water District
Commissioner Election
December 9, 2014
The annual election of a Massapequa Water District
Commissioner will be held
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
WHere TO VOTe:
Voting will be held at the Massapequa Water District
84 Grand Avenue
Massapequa, NY 11758
• If water pipes are located in an unheated
area of your house, cover the pipes with
insulation to prevent freezing.
• Disconnect all outdoor hoses. Turn off
the water leading outdoors. Open
each outdoor faucet.
• Winterize irrigation systems by turning
off the system and draining.
• Know where your shut off valve is
located in case of emergency.
• Keep any fire hydrant on your property
clear of snow.
On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, the Massapequa Water District wish all residents a healthy and safe holiday season.