Freeport's Water Quality Assessment

So, upon arriving home from work today I found a publication in my mailbox entitled "Freeport Water 2009, Annual Water Quality Report." Presumably covering the year 2009, I opened it to see - happily, might I add! - that water tables on Long Island have allegedly risen up to two and a half feet over the last year, continuing a supposed trend observed since 2005. As a quick aside: For those who don't know me, I find water resources to be one of the most pressing issues facing the U.S.




Anyhow, this brochure details how Freeport obtains its water - "The Freeport Water Department draws its water from 11 drilled wells located in our service area," each of which is "between 500 and 70 feet deep." The water is drawn from the Magothy Aquifer, whican can be thought of as "a natural water filter that's about 1,000 feet thick and a hundred miles wide." The health of the Aquifer itself was assessed by the New York State Department of Health, and while there are always possible contaminants it turns out that Freeport does not have any current violations in terms of its water. The biggest risks listed were nitrate contamination possible, in part, through the over-fertilization of land, and a vulnerability to industrial solvents due to the proximity of transportation routes.

The brochure discussed regulations on lawn sprinkling, most importantly that there is never a time to irrigate from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM during sunny periods; this water will mostly evaporate, which is one of the worst forms of waste. The 2009 annual water charge was described as a $20.00 base fee, with the first 50,000 gallons used costing 1.90/thousand gallons. According to their examples, a consumer who averaged 150,000 gallons of water in this year was billed $365.00. Additionally, new water mains were installed on Summers Place and Gill Avenue, a sizable upgrade from 4'' to 8''.

Nevertheless, according to this document a gallon of water costs less than one penny - 0.00185 cents. The brochure somewhat predictably encourages residents to use tap water instead of bottled water, and it makes a strongly compelling case to do just that. They even discuss how small bits of Iron, a naturally-occuring mineral in the Magothy Aquifer, are in fact essential nutrients for the body. Our water is additionally treated with Sodium Hydroxide (to raise the PH to optimal levels), Sodium Hexametaphosphate (to sequester this iron and keep water discolored), and finally Sodium Hypochlorite (for disinfection).

All of these perks, however, come at a cost. In a sidebar, Freeport's Mayor Andrew Hardwick reaffirms his administration's commitment to providing clean and safe water to residents in a reliable, inexpensive manner. At the same time, however, he reminds us that this aquatic infrastructure is aging and that the Village requires "its share of the funding" needed to make vital repairs to the system. He declares that "Government cannot continue to raise taxes and borrow money to replace these mains," and that he will "bring this message to our representatives." Taken at face value, these pledges reassure residents that one of our most important assets - our water system - will remain safe. I, for one, will celebrate by having a nice, tall, ice-filled glass of what can only be called Dihydrogen Monoxide.


In order to obtain a copy of this report, you may head to one of a number of locations:
- www.freeportny.com,
- Village Hall Water Billing Department at 46 North Ocean Avenue (Village Hall)
- DPW's Water Department office at 355 Albany Avenue
- The Freeport Public Library at 144 West Merrick Road,
- Or just call 516-377-2379