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Overcast Fight for public water continues: South Nassau Water Authority needs funds; advocates demand public meetings
Advocacy groups have been ramping up efforts for a public takeover of Liberty Utilities after the private company, which supplies water to roughly 113,000 Town of Hempstead residents, recently sought a cumulative 34.2 percent rate hike across Nassau County.
Long Island Clean Air Water & Soil, an advocacy group that has long fought for public water, held a meeting in Merrick on June 15 to discuss what could be done to fight the rate increase.
Just over a month ago, Liberty filed a notice with the state Public Service Commission for the rate increase, which would impact three districts that Liberty serves on Long Island: Lynbrook, Merrick and Sea Cliff.
The private company is seeking the increase to offset the cost of “necessary plant investments, high tax burdens, the installation of advanced metering infrastructure, proposed low-income and arrearage management programs, and a fee-free program for electronic payment of Liberty NYW invoices,” according to the filing.
The company added that the rate hike would also help cover the cost of 17 new jobs that were created at its Merrick offices, as well as “the implementation of a low-income program” to provide aid to certain customers.
If the state approves a rate increase after holding public hearings, it would take effect on April 1, 2024.
In November 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill creating the South Nassau Water Authority, a public entity with the sole purpose of taking over Liberty.
As of early May, the water authority board was composed of John Reinhardt, Ella Stevens, Robert Gizzi and Mark Plumer, with one open seat to be filled by someone appointed by the Town of Hempstead.
Liberty’s proposed increase has sparked a debate and angered town officials.
“Only 16 months after buying American Water Company, Liberty Utilities filed for a rate increase of nearly 35 percent with the Public Service Commission,” Town Supervisor Don Clavin said in a statement on May 5. “I, along with the newly formed South Nassau Water Authority, urge the Public Service Commission to reject this unconscionable rate increase. Liberty water ratepayers deserve better.”
Dave Denenberg, co-director of Long Island Clean Air, said the water authority has not held any public meetings to discuss how to take over Liberty.
“We need a public meeting,” Denenberg said. “We need the town to appoint the rest of the board — and we need the board to do their job.”
When the South Nassau Water Authority was created, Hochul also signed legislation creating a similar entity on the North Shore, the Water Authority of the North Shore. The bill gave the North Shore water authority $1 million per year for its first two years of operation, but a lump sum of $2 million for North Shore was actually worked into the state’s budget this year.
However, no state funding has not been allocated to the South Shore.
Long Island Clean Air believes the South Nassau Water Authority should still hold public meetings explaining how a takeover would work, how much it would cost, and how long the process would take.
The group’s leaders urged others to speak out about the need for a meeting and encouraged them to write letters to their elected officials. They also suggested that they attend town board meetings and speak out during the public comment period.
Hochul vetoed legislation last November intended to provide funding for the South Nassau Water Authority. The funding, according to state Sen. Steve Rhoads, is required to “hire experts to inventory and evaluate the assets of Liberty water and assess operating costs as a public system before it can engage Liberty in discussions for a potential acquisition.”
“It is unfortunate that Gov. Hochul continues to be the biggest obstacle for the South Nassau Water Authority to fulfill its mission to study, negotiate and report on a possible transition to public water so the voters can make an informed decision,” Rhoads wrote in an email.
Rhoads has introduced new legislation addressing the matter.
“In February, I introduced S.5173, which would compel the State to provide $1 million in annual funding for SNWA to do its work,” he said. “I then wrote to the governor and the leaders in both the Senate and the Assembly to make the bill part of this year’s budget funding. Those requests fell on deaf ears.”
Last week, Rhoads said Assemblywoman Taylor Darling and Assemblymen Brian Curran and Dave McDonough, introduced identical legislation to give the bill a chance to move through both houses of the state legislature with bipartisan support.
“With Liberty water seeking additional rate hikes which will further harm our residents,” Rhoads wrote, “it is important for all of our state representatives to get behind the effort to get the (South Nassau Water Authority) the funding it needs and to compel the governor to stop impeding progress.”
