Cleaner water for Nassau County

Long Island American Water opened its newest iron-removal plant in Malverne on Oct. 28, marking the occasion by inviting local elected officials and representatives of the New York State Public Service Commission to a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The $7.5 million plant, at 10 Franklin Ave., on the Malverne-Lynbrook border, will enable the company to treat water from two wells that had been out of service as a result of high iron content. An additional 4 million gallons per day of high-quality filtered water will be pumped into Long Island American Water’s system, which serves some 200,000 people in Malverne, Lynbrook, Atlantic Beach, Baldwin, East Rockaway, the Five Towns, Island Park, Oceanside, Roosevelt and Valley Stream.

“Iron intrusion is a challenge in Long Island,” said LIAW President William Varley, “and this new state-of-the-art plant provides a much-needed solution to help us provide water that meets or exceeds both [Environmental Protection Agency] standards, as well as our customers’ standards.”

Drawing water from the two additional wells will help the company meet the kind of increased demand it experienced over the summer, when hot, dry weather and little rainfall necessitated restrictions on water use, Varley noted. From its 36 wells, the company pumps about 30 million gallons of water a day, and that output peaked at nearly 60 million on several days this summer.

Iron is a natural component in the ground and in water. But levels of iron in water on Long Island — particularly on the South Shore — continue to rise, requiring a greater push to shut down wells and treat the water, according to Varley. As wells age, iron levels rise, he explained, accumulating in the filters through which the water is pumped.

The Public Service Commission and the Nassau County Health Department allow wells to operate with water whose iron content is up to 1.5 parts per million. Once iron levels surpass that limit, water providers must remove it.

Varley said he expects the wells to be in service by the end of the month.

The new plant — Long Island American Water’s sixth iron-removal facility — is part of the company’s ongoing $26 million capital investment program. It plans to open another facility next year in Lynbrook, and later in Baldwin.

Varley told Long Island Business News that the company will eventually pass on the costs of construction to ratepayers by raising rates, but, he added, it is currently “strictly investing in the system.”

Long Island American Water now charges $3.50 per 1,000 gallons for the first 5,000 gallons.

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