Despite Power Outages and Other Impacts of Severe Weather, Water Service is Never Interrupted

Plainview, N.Y. (July 29, 2021)—Hurricane season is back in full force, and Long Island is sure to have its periods of severe weather this summer and into the Fall. Despite the occurrences of flooding and widespread power outages, the Plainview Water District (PWD) is prepared and well equipped to continue providing its residents with the highest quality water possible, regardless of the weather.

“The Plainview Water District has taken both short-term and long-term planning and resiliency measures to ensure our supply and distribution system operation can handle any severe weather event,” said PWD Chairman Marc Laykind. “The last thing anyone needs during a major storm is for their water to stop flowing. Luckily for our residents, we have made the necessary investments in both infrastructure and manpower to keep water flowing twenty-four seven.”

All water pumps and treatment facilities rely heavily on electricity in order to operate. If a power outage does occur, the PWD has its own emergency electrical generator facilities on standby at its plant sites to take over supplying electricity to is key facilities. The generator equipment is maintained year-round and tested frequently to ensure everything is always ready when needed. In addition, all members of the PWD are trained and prepared to use the equipment and handle many different emergency situations like hurricanes and tropical storms.

“All District facilities and staff are prepared to act immediately should our facilities lose power or be impacted in any other way by a severe storm,” said Commissioner Andrew Bader. “Our emergency action plan has dedicated response teams that are ready to be mobilized at a moment’s notice. Fortunately for the community, they typically don’t ever have to worry about their water service stopping due to a storm thanks to our team’s preparedness.”

The District is also a member of New York’s statewide Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (NYWARN) of utilities that encourages and supports emergency preparedness across the state, as well as disaster response and mutual aid for public and private water and wastewater utilities. As a member of NYWARN, neighboring water suppliers from across the state provide emergency assistance when necessary. The Plainview Water District also has a seat at Nassau County’s Office of Emergency Management, where water and utility suppliers across the county coordinate an emergency response in case of a region-wide power outage. The PWD is proud to help assist its neighboring water systems and other Nassau County utility suppliers in case of an emergency.

“Ensuring that our facilities can be self-sufficient without a moment’s notice is only possible because of the great work of our teams and professional engineers who designed the systems to operate in any condition,” said Commissioner Amanda Field. “Power outages can be extremely stressful periods of time for residents, so we want everyone in the POB community to rest assured that when it comes to all things water, we have it under control.”

Third Quarter Bills Are Traditionally Higher Due to Irrigation Systems Being Online, Now is the Time to Keep Water Usage Low 

Summer is coming to an end quickly, but it is always important to begin implementing water conservation methods. The Plainview Water District (PWD) would like to remind its residents that third quarter bills can be much higher than normal due to irrigation systems being online throughout the summer months. The demand for water is heightened with hotter temperatures and the need to keep lawns green, so many residents experience a higher water bill.

“Water bills almost always spike during the summer, very similarly to gas and oil bills being heightened in the winter,” said PWD Chairman Marc Laykind. “Your water bills are completely based on usage, so residents’ bills fluctuate depending on the volume of water used during the quarter.”

Water bills are consistently the least significant utility bill in cost for residents, but the District makes a consistent effort to educate the community about the importance of water conservation and tips to keep bills as low as possible. These tips include following the Nassau County lawn watering ordinances and instituting smart irrigation controllers to cut down on water waste as part of the District’s Preserve Plainview initiative. Smart controllers can save residents an average of 40% on their summer water bills by cutting down on unnecessary water waste.

“Installing smart irrigation controllers are the most efficient way to cut down on your water bills,” said PWD Commissioner Amanda Field. “For those residents who see a large spike in their third quarter bills, these controllers can be a huge help in lowering bills and reducing water waste. Savings generated by these systems can really add up and even pay for themselves within the first few years after installation.”

The Plainview Water District billing structure is a block rate form, meaning the price of water per 1,000 gallons increases as a customer reaches higher tiers of usage. There are currently six rate tiers with the highest rate block only impacting customers who use more than 125,000 gallons of water in a given quarter. This highest rate tier is designed to motivate the District’s highest water users to conserve water.

“Most irrigation systems turn on while the homeowner is sleeping, so they are usually unaware of the amount of water they can consume,” said PWD Commissioner Andrew Bader. “Like all other utilities, those whose usage is more will pay more, while those who use less will pay less on their bills. There are many irrigation tips that residents can use in order to keep their lawns healthy while also cutting back on water use.”

For additional information about water conservation and tips to save water around the home, please call (516) 931-6469 or visit the Plainview Water District website at www.plainviewwater.org. Residents can also sign up to receive information by submitting their email address through the District’s homepage or following them on Facebook in order to stay up-to-date with District activities and initiatives.