Neighbors in the News

New York American Water awards grant to Crossroads Farm in Malverne

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New York American Water recently awarded Crossroads Farm at Grossmann’s, of Malverne, a grant as part of the company’s annual environmental grant program. Each year, the company’s program offers funding of up to $10,000 for qualifying innovative, community-based environmental projects that improve, restore or protect watersheds, surface water and/or groundwater supplies within the company’s service area. This year’s grant award will assist Crossroads Farm — a nonprofit organization managed by the Nassau Land Trust — in educating Nassau County community members about the importance of water conservation and methods to conserve using smart planting choices and modern technology.
“The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has set a goal for all Long Island water suppliers to reduce their peak demand by 15 percent,” said Michael Nofi, a water-quality manager for the company. “New York American Water cannot accomplish this alone, so we are encouraging our customers to conserve. We are excited to support Crossroads Farm in developing an educational destination for our customers to learn about the importance of water conservation, and how they can have a positive impact through the way they choose to maintain their yards and gardens.”
Crossroads will develop a teaching garden of drought-tolerant native plants and host workshops to promote the use of native species for gardens in the village with a focus on water conservation and environmental stewardship. The teaching garden will use a Rachio 3 smart irrigation controller for the garden’s irrigation system to educate homeowners about weather, water usage and the opportunity to conserve through efficient irrigation.
“Crossroads Farm is excited to partner with New York American Water on this water conservation project. Our goal is to educate and inform members of our Nassau County community about water conservation methods using smart planting choices and practices, and smart sprinkler controllers,” said Judi Consigli, director of operations at Crossroads. “As part of this project, we will be creating a native species garden with plants that are drought tolerant and compatible with the existing ecosystem. This garden will be watered using smart watering technology from Rachio. Our workshops will include information on water conservation, environmental awareness, local geology, the local aquifer and soil content.”
For more information about NYAW and its environmental stewardship go to www.newyorkamwater.com.