Filed Under: Environmental Issues | Long Island | Nassau | Water

Drinking Quality Matters

DRINKING WATER QUALITY

Nassau County relies on aquifers located underneath Long Island for its drinking water. It is essential that the groundwater in these aquifers is not contaminated by toxic substances. To keep Nassau's drinking water safe, it is important to protect an area located in the center of Long Island known as the Deep Flow Recharge Area. Much of this area, however, is already developed and open space is at a minimum. This makes it more difficult for rainwater to flow into the ground to recharge the drinking water aquifers while highly increasing the risk of contamination. 

In 1987 the state passed the Sole Source Aquifer Protection Act, which limits development in nine sections within the Deep Flow Recharge Area, covering about one-quarter of Long Island. These nine sections, designated as Special Groundwater Protection Areas, are relatively undeveloped and therefore produce a large amount of Long Island’s drinking water. In Nassau County, this legislation protects the North Hills area in the Town of North Hempstead, the northeastern areas of the Town of Oyster Bay, and the southeastern areas of the Town of North Hempstead. 

In 1996, Amendments to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act asked states to create a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) to analyze all sources of water within the public drinking water systems. The New York State Department of Health worked with the Nassau County Health Department to assess the county's ground water system and issued a report in May 2003, focusing mainly on the potential for various types of contamination of the Island’s drinking water. The results of this study are being used by both local water suppliers and state and county health departments to protect the water supply in the future. Reports on individual drinking wells will also be included in the water supplier’s Annual Quality Report beginning in 2004. 

There are currently 49 active community water systems and four active non-community water systems serving Nassau County. These systems take much of their water from the Magothy Aquifer. Additional drinking water is also taken from the Lloyd Aquifer and the North Shore Aquifer. The county and state health departments are responsible for regulating these systems, and the federal government now mandates that water suppliers send their customers a short, annual report (a consumer confidence report) detailing where the water comes from and what is in it.

Involved Government Agencies

The state and county Departments of Health are responsible for monitoring and enforcing drinking water quality. The quality of groundwater is regulated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation with the assistance of local health departments. Water utilities operating in Nassau County can be either private, investor-owned companies, municipally-owned such as by a Village, a state-created Authority or a special district that is not affiliated with any specific municipal government.

Water Conservation

What you can do:

1. Use non-toxic alternatives to pesticides to protect groundwater.

2. Practice water conservation indoors by installing water-saving toilets, showerheads and faucet aerators, taking shorter showers and NOT running the water while shaving, washing your hands or brushing your teeth. 

3. Practice water conservation outdoors by using a self-closing nozzle on your hose, sweeping rather than watering your sidewalk or driveway and not overwatering your lawn or plants (water before 9 a.m. or after 7 p.m.).