The Plainview Water District held its Annual Water Commissioner Election on Tuesday, December 12th. Commissioner Marc Laykind was reelected and will begin serving his new term on January 1, 2024.
Category: Alerts & Notices
Plainview Water District personnel will be conducting preventative maintenance operations on all hydrants district-wide from May 1st to approximately July 31st. This routine annual maintenance of our hydrants helps protect our community’s health and safety. This is not an extensive flushing operation. We will be pressure testing our hydrants and opening them briefly to ensure proper operation and readiness so that they will be fully functional by fire crews if needed.
When maintenance is being performed residents in the immediate vicinity of the work may experience temporary discoloration of their water. This discoloration primarily consists of harmless rust particles and does not affect the safety of the water. If you experience discoloration in your water after crews have been testing hydrants in your neighborhood, it is best to run your cold water tap at the lowest point of your home for 2 minutes or until it clears up.
Questions about hydrant testing can be directed to our customer service representatives by calling 516-931-6469 between the hours of 8am and 4pm Monday – Friday.
The Plainview Water District would like to clarify some confusion stemming from a recent Plainview-Old Bethpage School District notification concerning POB schools’ internal water samples that tested positive for lead. We routinely sample for lead and copper in the Water District distribution system and all results have shown that levels for lead were non-detectable (if any contaminant exists, it is so low that modern sampling technology cannot detect it) and copper levels are far below the referred action limit.
Since the water being supplied to homes and buildings is essentially free of these contaminants as confirmed by our routine sampling, when a sample taken within a structure/facility shows elevated levels of lead and/or copper, the source of the lead/copper is interior plumbing or fixtures. Lead was a common material used in plumbing systems and fixtures in older buildings. In fact, to a lesser degree, there are still some plumbing fixtures that are manufactured today with a small amount of lead in them, which can result in positive “first draw” samples.
Water providers do not have any jurisdiction of the plumbing systems or fixtures inside of a home, business, or other buildings. However, to help get a better understanding of the presence of lead and copper in the interior plumbing systems and buildings, the District conducts lead and copper sampling in accordance with the EPA’s regulation known as the lead and copper rule. All water districts across the nation conduct lead and copper sampling in accordance with EPA guidelines.
The Health Department limits are set for lead and copper, and District water laboratory results are as follows:
Lead:
- Health Department maximum allowable Limit= 15 parts per billion (ppb).
- Plainview Water District results have been less than 1.0 ppb or non-detectable.
Copper:
- Health Department maximum allowable Limit= 1.3 parts per million (ppm).
- Plainview Water District results have shown a maximum level of 0.0044 ppm.
Dear Long Island residents,
Foremost, we hope that everyone is staying safe and abiding by all health recommendations from the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While this COVID-19 outbreak has changed much of our daily lives, it will not hinder our unbreakable spirit to better serve the communities we love.
Responsible for delivering high-quality drinking water to more than 3.5 million residents in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, the membership of both the Long Island Water Conference (LIWC) and Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association (NSWCA) reassures every Long Islander that your drinking water is and will remain unaffected by the COVID-19 outbreak. There is no need to be stocking up and hoarding bottled water.
Aside from standard treatment measures that would inactivate the virus (there are no known COVID-19 detections in any water source throughout the globe), our organizations have worked in lockstep with one another to quickly put in place necessary precautions to promote the health and safety of our residents and employees. Water providers across Long Island implemented temporary policies that closed public facing facilities and restricted the entry of employees to a resident’s home for anything other than an absolute emergency. We rearranged work schedules to better promote social distancing and have isolated key water plant operators to the greatest extent possible. The communication within our industry has been constant since the start of the outbreak to ensure that every water supplier has the personnel, equipment and supplies to see them through this situation now and into the future.
Like doctors, nurses, EMS personnel, police officers and firefighters, employees of water providers are essential and we do not have the luxury of staying away from the field. Regardless of the situation, well pumps and treatment facilities need to be checked daily, water samples from the distribution systems are routinely gathered to ensure quality and water main breaks must be fixed expeditiously to minimize service impacts. Regardless of what stops in the world around us, we must continue marching as every single person relies on us completing our daily tasks.
To the men and women of the water industry who continue to show up regardless of the situation and provide Long Islanders the stability of an uninterrupted supply of water in these uncertain times, thank you. Your efforts, professionalism and dedication to the invaluable roll you play in our society is very much appreciated. Time and time again you have proven that there is no situation or emergency we aren’t prepared to handle.
Sincerely,
Richard Passariello, Chairman, Long Island Water Conference
William Schuckmann, Chairman, Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association
Out of an abundance of caution and in the spirit of protecting public health, effective immediately the Plainview Water District will not be accepting payments inside of the District office in any form. Additionally, the office will be closed to the public until further notice.
Please be advised the payment drop box immediately outside of the entry door is available for you to remit payment. We encourage you to utilize other methods of payment such as postal mail, online payments, or enrolling in automatic bill payments.
Please feel free to contact us at 516-931-6469 if you have any questions.
We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
The Plainview Water District (PWD) is requesting a $25.8 million bond to fund infrastructure projects for the treatment of 1,4-dioxane. The bond hearing is being held at the Town of Oyster Bay town hall Tuesday 11/19 at 10am.
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is expected to regulate 1,4-dioxane in the near future. The PWD has been planning for treatment ahead of regulations. The Drinking Water Council, appointed by the Governor Cuomo, recommended a maximum level of 1 part-per-billion for 1,4-dioxane and the NYSDOH Commissioner accepted those recommendations. Since this is a new treatment process, pilot studies are required by State and Local Health Departments at each individual water plant site and the District has completed four such pilots at water plants in recent months. The District agrees with the need for treatment and the District has urged NYSDOH for the time needed to build effective treatment. The District is also involved in litigation to hold polluters responsible for costs incurred for these projects.
This $25.8 million dollar bond is necessary now to provide the PWD with funding that will enable us continue to deliver the highest quality of water to all of our customers.
As seen in the Plainview – Old Bethpage Herald – May 22 – 28, 2019
As seen in the Plainview – Old Bethpage Herald – May 15 – 21, 2019
As seen in the Plainview – Old Bethpage Herald – May 1 – 7, 2019
As seen in the Plainview – Old Bethpage Herald – April 17 – 23, 2019
In an effort to conserve water and improve the resiliency of our infrastructure, the District is working with a professional leak detection company. This work is being done overnight from the hours of 9pm to 4am for the next few weeks. These experts will be listening for any leaks coming from the water mains out in the roadway. This specialized task is best done in the overnight hours when water demand is at the lowest and irrigation systems are shutoff. Should you see a truck in your neighborhood that reads Leak Detection, please know that they are working for the District.
Starting tonight at 8 p.m., essential maintenance work will take place at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Manetto Hill Road. Customers in the area may experience slight water pressure variations or discolored water conditions during the maintenance period. If you live in the immediate area and your water appears discolored, flush the water for several minutes. Please be advised that your water is safe to drink. This work is intended to continue through 5 a.m. tomorrow morning and will also extend from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday night into Friday morning. We thank you for your patience and understanding, and we are available to answer any questions you might have.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has employed Cascade Drilling Company to conduct drilling operations in the vicinity of Montclair Road—off Manetto Hill Road—in Plainview. Cascade will be installing up to seven monitoring wells as part of the 131 Sunnyside Boulevard superfund site investigation. A monitoring well is a 2-inch diameter, PVC casing pipe that begins at the surface and goes approximately 100 feet below the ground so they can take samples of the groundwater.
Please be advised that your drinking water is not in any way affected as a result of these actions. A fact sheet with additional information has been provided by the NYSDEC. If you have specific questions about this work or would like to know more about the monitoring wells, please contact the NYSDEC at 518-402-9621. Should any resident have additional questions, Residents are always welcome to contact the Plainview Water District at 516-931-6469 for additional information.
NYSDEC FACT SHEET FOR 131 SUNNYSIDE BLVD. SUPERFUND SITE. Click here
The Plainview Water District was recently notified by a resident on Ruby Lane who reported an incident where two individuals gained entry into his home by posing as water district employees. Fortunately, the homeowner was not harmed and, to his knowledge, no items were taken. The homeowner immediately notified the police. Residents should always ask for identification and check the immediate vicinity for a Plainview Water District vehicle if anyone posing as a District employee unexpectedly appears at your home. When in doubt, contact our office at 516-931-6469 to confirm the visit. If at any point you feel threatened, dial 911 immediately.
Plainview Water District Commissioners stress the importance of keeping fire hydrants accessible all year long.
The Plainview Volunteer Fire Department does an excellent job of protecting the lives and homes of our residents. We must all keep in mind that fire hydrant accessibility is a primary factor in fighting fires successfully. That’s why Plainview Water District Commissioners Marc Laykind, Andrew Bader and Amanda Field would like to remind homeowners and local businesses to make sure they keep areas surrounding fire hydrants clear so the fire department can connect its equipment without delay.
For your own protection and the protection of those you care about, the Plainview Water District urges you to keep this responsibility in mind; please remember when colder weather approaches to remove any snow that surrounds fire hydrants in front of your property. It is not only an important way to help our everyday heroes, but people’s lives may depend on it.
The Plainvew Water District Board of Commissioners would like to thank its residents in advance for adhering to the Chairman’s suggestion.
The Plainview Water District was notified by Nassau County Police that an incident was reported, whereby individuals attempted entry into a home in the POB community posing as water district employees. Fortunately, the homeowner turned the individuals away and called 911. Residents should always ask for identification and check the immediate vicinity for a Plainview Water District Vehicle. When in doubt contact our office at (516) 931-6469.