N.S. Water Authority will oversee municipal service

Water authority to begin buying out Liberty Utilities

Plan is to sell municipal bonds, not raise taxes

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For years, the residents of Sea Cliff, a large section of Glen Head and parts of Glen Cove, Glenwood Landing, Old Brookville and Roslyn Harbor have had to pay a pretty penny for their water. Now, with the creation of the North Shore Water Authority, their local governments should be able to solve that problem.

The affected areas were served by New York American Water, a private company that was criticized for many years by customers and public officials for its high rates, what they said were unfair rate hikes and its quality of service. The situation became so bad that residents of several towns banded together to form North Shore Concerned Citizens, a group which ultimately convinced local authorities to take the matter to court.

After two years of litigation, the Village of Sea Cliff settled a legal suit in 2019 that required NYAW’s parent company, American Water Works Co., to sell its New York operation. The settlement came with the understanding that the local governments whose residents had been customers of NYAW would eventually attempt to purchase its operations and municipalize their water. The North Shore Water Authority plans to do this by selling municipal bonds to raise the money, rather than raising taxes or using money from any budgets.

“That settlement agreement contains the structure for the municipalization of the North Shore water district,” Sea Cliff Mayor Elena Villafane explained. “So now it’s up to the board members from the municipalities to pick up the cudgel and move this thing forward.”

On Jan. 3, American Water Works finalized the sale of New York American Water to Liberty Utilities, an American subsidiary of the Canadian company Algonquin Power and Utilities.

Representatives of Liberty Utilities did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

A bill signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul last November, which was sponsored by State Sen. Jim Gaughran and State Assemblyman Chuck Lavine, allowed for the creation of the North Shore Water Authority to municipalize the water. It will consist of a six-person board, with two representatives from the Town of Oyster Bay (on behalf of Glen Head and Glenwood Landing residents) and one each from Sea Cliff, Glen Cove, Roslyn Harbor and Old Brookville.

“Safe, clean and affordable drinking water should not be a luxury,” Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a public statement released on Monday. “It should be a dependable resource.”

Sea Cliff’s representative on the NSWA is Village Trustee James Versocki, an attorney who specializes in labor and employment. Before being named to the water authority, Versocki was at the forefront of the struggle against NYAW and a member of North Shore Concerned Citizens. According to Versocki, the process of municipalizing water service, though it will likely take as long as 18 months, will ultimately be rewarding for the village.

“We want to get cheap, high-quality water for all of our residents,” Versocki said. “Instead of private companies, our water will be regulated by a public service commission.”

George Pombar, of Glen Head, another member of the authority, was one of the founders of North Shore Concerned Citizens. Pombar agreed with Versocki that while the path ahead may be difficult, the benefits will be well worth it. According to Pombar, a resident of Glen Head can pay as much as $200 a month for water, while a resident of Jericho, living in the Jericho Water District — a governmental entity — might pay only $10.

“We’re talking major difference here, you know,” Pombar explained. “We’re not talking about reducing things by 10 or 20 dollars. The reductions are significant.”

For Villafane, what is most important is having Sea Cliff’s water be operated publicly rather than by the private sector. “Liberty and New York American Water, they’re stock-based companies,” she said. “A municipal water authority is working solely for the benefit of the community, not focused on making a profit for stockholders.”

Many residents will be following the water authority’s efforts closely. Agatha Nadel, of Sea Cliff, one of the founding members of North Shore Concerned Citizens, said the new agency can’t afford to let residents down.

“We’ve been working towards this goal for years now,” Nadel said, “and we haven’t struggled for this long just to lose this fight.”