Water tower work almost completed

The South Side High School water tower is closer to being back in commission after many months of not being in use.

The tower has been closed for rehabilitation, sandblasting, painting and replacing the iron filtration plant. While those have been completed, the village is still waiting on final approval from the Nassau County Department of Health, which is expected to take at least two weeks to test and approve the quality of the water.

“Some of the samples just take 24 hours — that’s the bacteriological samples — and some of the samples take an extended period of time,” said Kevin Reilly, superintendent of the Water Department.

In the meantime, residents have been using water primarily from the Maple Avenue water tank, with some from the well near Molloy College. The water from the wells that feed the Maple Avenue tank, however, can be rusty and discolored due to iron in the groundwater. For residents whose water comes from the tower by South Side High School, this has created stained bathroom fixtures, aesthetically unpleasing drinking water and water that stained laundry.

When the Department of Health gives its final approval, the village will have to flush the water system before the tower is put back in service, which will result in some discolored water. The village will notify residents when this happens through social media posts and a Reverse 911 call.

“We are also at the mercy of mother nature,” said Reilly. “We cannot flush the system if the temperature is below freezing because it would create very hazardous conditions on the roads.”