Door-to-Door Water Filtration Salesmen Promoting Themselves Working In Conjunction is Unwarranted

The South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) today issued a statement to all residents to be aware of fraudulent and false advertising activities within the community.  Door-to-door water filtration salesman are currently advertising themselves as ‘working in conjunction with the South Farmingdale Water District’ to promote water filtration devices. This information is completely false and misleading and SFWD urges all residents to use caution when approached by these salesmen.

The South Farmingdale Water District does not promote water filtration devices and is not affiliated with any water filtration company or water sampling company.  These salesmen work independently of the District.

In fact, it is rare that anyone from the Water District will show up at your home unannounced. 99.9% of District visits to residents’ homes or businesses are by appointment only.

While the District cannot prohibit the sale of water filtration devices, the alliance claims made by these salesmen are completely false and erroneous.  If you feel uncomfortable about someone showing up at your home and addressing himself or herself as a SFWD employee, ask for identification.  If identification is not presented, contact the police immediately. Our employees have been trained by the Nassau County police regarding identification procedures to help identify imposters.

The SFWD thanks all residents for their cooperation and help in these important matters of security and public safety.

About the South Farmingdale Water District
Since 1931, SFWD has been providing quality drinking water that exceeds federal, state and local standards to the communities it serves such as South Farmingdale, North Massapequa, and parts of Bethpage, Seaford, and Massapequa Park.

For More Information contact: South Farmingdale Water District, 40 Langdon Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735.  Telephone: (516) 249-3330.

South Farmingdale Water District Hosts Nassau Community College Students for Educational Program and Facility Tour

Where does our water supply come from? That was just one of the topics discussed when 30 students from Nassau Community College’s (NCC) Environmental Science program visited South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) as part of a collaborative educational program initiative.

In an effort to expand education beyond the classroom, NCC students who have an interest in environmental studies were invited on a tour of SFWD’s Water Treatment Facility, which was led by Gary Loesch, Executive Vice President and Alison Auriemmo, Project Engineer of H2M Architects + Engineers, the engineering contractor for SFWD. Additionally, the District’s Water Commissioners, Superintendent and Plant Operators were on hand to answer questions about the District’s storage plants, well sites and how water is pumped and distributed to the local community.

Nassau Community College Professor Michael Marrano emphasized the importance of offering students valuable educational experiences that extend beyond the walls of the traditional classroom. “By coming to SFWD, our students can experience an environmental professional firsthand, ask questions and gain a better appreciation of where our water comes from, how it’s treated and how it’s delivered.  It’s something that no one should take for granted.”

An avid supporter of shared educational programs, the local water district has been providing facility tours for nearly 50 years for local elementary students, high school students, and college programs. “We are more than happy to host Nassau Community College this afternoon,” said South Farmingdale Water District Commissioner Ralph Atoria. “Part of our mission is to actively promote the conservation of our most precious resource, and we’re proud to continually educate our youth on how we deliver safe and sustainable water.”

For more information about scholastic educational tours of SFWD, please contact the South Farmingdale Water District at (516) 249-3330.  For more information about where your water comes from, please visit the SFWD website at: www.sfwater.com

About the South Farmingdale Water District
Since 1931, SFWD has been providing quality drinking water that exceeds federal, state and local standards to the communities it serves such as South Farmingdale, North Massapequa, and parts of Bethpage, Seaford, and Massapequa Park.

South Farmingdale Water District’s office is located at 40 Langdon Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735. Telephone: (516) 249-3330, or visit www.sfwater.com.

About Nassau Community College
Nassau Community College, a division of the State University of New York, is an institution where nearly 24,000 full- and part-time students and almost 15,000 continuing and professional students start and continue their successful journey through higher education. More than 70 fields of study are offered on a 225-acre campus located in the center of Long Island. As the largest single-campus two-year college in New York State, Nassau Community College maintains a national reputation for excellence. For more information, visit our website at www.ncc.edu

Summer is here and while we look forward to outdoor activities, visiting beautiful beaches and enjoying barbecues with friends and family, it’s important to be conscientious about water consumption and conservation. According to the South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) Commissioners, July is the District’s busiest pumping month of the year, and though Long Island is not suffering from a drought, below are some helpful hints for residents to take into consideration during the dog days of summer to lower their water bills and help conserve water:

• Limit time spent on watering the lawn. The average lawn requires only two inches of water per week.
• A backflow device and locking ball valve must be installed with the installation of an underground irrigation sprinkler system.
• Hosing down driveways and sidewalks is prohibited. Use a broom instead.
• When using garden hoses, turn them off when finished.
• Repair leaky faucets in the home or outside.  A dripping faucet or fixture can waste over three gallons a day…that’s over 1,095 gallons a year

Run dishwashers and washing machines only when they are fully loaded.

Important Reminder: Nassau County Ordinance prohibits lawn watering between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Even numbered addresses and non-numbered homes can water only on even numbered days; odd numbered addresses can water only on odd numbered days.

For more information and additional ideas about water conservation, click on our Conservation Tips page.

Recently, consumers have been asking for an easier way to drop off their water bills at our main office. We’re happy to announce that we’ve answered the call and installed a water bill drop-box at the main entrance of our 40 Langdon Road office. You’re still more than welcome to come in and visit us, or simply drop your bill in the box.

Our normal hours of business will continue Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., or drop your bill into the box at any time, 24/7. Bills dropped off after 4 p.m. will be collected and posted the next business day.

When Hurricane Sandy slammed into Long Island, it caused unprecedented devastation and multiple emergencies. SEMO, the NY State Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross had an emergency of their own – getting water to the desperate thousands in the Rockaways. The SFWD snapped into action to supply fresh water for residents, electrical workers, and others who were helping in the tremendous relief effort.

Our plants were without electricity, but through good planning, our generators were working at full capacity. There was no interruption in water supply to SFWD residents, and we initiated an action plan to get water to those who needed it immediately.

Early Tuesday morning, November 6, SFWD volunteers met SEMO personnel at Republic Airport. The joint task force escorted a 5,500-gallon tanker truck to SFWD Plant #1 on Langdon Road. Our crew worked to clean and sanitize the truck, filled it with water, and in less than 24 hours, thousands of people in Queens had SFWD water on hand.

The Board of Commissioners commented, “Hurricane Sandy was a devastating storm that changed the lives of many. We’re proud of our staff for volunteering their time. Many had no electricity or heat themselves, but they got out of bed and worked around the clock. Every crew member stepped up and did his or her part to help our neighbors who had even greater needs.”

We are pleased to add that we have been notified that FEMA will reimburse the District for all costs related to these relief efforts.

Imposters Posing as District and Health Department Employees Burglarizing Homes

 The South Farmingdale Water District urges all residents to be aware of fraudulent activities within the community.  Recently there has been a wave of burglaries where imposters, posing as officials from the water district or department of health, approach people’s homes asking to gain entrance to inspect the water meter. These con men represent themselves as employees. They work in pairs, male or female, and make people feel comfortable about allowing them into their home.

It’s important that all residents take extreme caution, keep the door locked and call 9-1-1 immediately. These perpetrators have been canvassing the county for months and numerous incidents have been reported to Nassau County Police.

The District commented, “We are very concerned about the safety of our consumers and the fraudulent and criminal activity within our community. These perpetrators typically target senior citizens with bogus identification and distract the resident while their accomplice ransacks the home and commits theft.  By the time the imposter conducts his or her alleged business, the accomplice is long gone and the home has been burglarized.”

It is extremely rare that anyone from the SFWD will need to enter the home. Even if there is an emergency such as a water main break, the District will notify a resident in advance without a need to enter the house.

If you have any information or tips about these crimes, please contact the Nassau County Police (911) immediately.

South Farmingdale Water District’s office is located at: 40 Langdon Road, Farmingdale, NY 11735.  Telephone: (516) 249-3330.

For the second consecutive year, the SFWD has contained costs and conserved tax dollars, therefore, there will be no rate increase for 2012. This achievement further demonstrates the immediate benefits of local control and how the SFWD has historically and successfully managed the budget at no increased cost to the consumer.

The announcement is a welcome change of pace for taxpayers in a year of financial uncertainties and rising costs on basic commodities. Residents can rest assured that all current projects to improve efficiency and maintain high water quality standards will stay in place, without compromise and without increased costs.

Some little-known facts are that SFWD water rates are about 2% below the national average (source: American Water Works Associations) and that the consumers’ water tax is less than 1.7% of their total tax bill.

The Commissioners noted, “It is our fiscal responsibility to work within our budgets. As public servants and residents of the District, it is our duty to protect our fellow taxpayers and deliver the safest and best water possible.”

During the cold weather and freezing temperatures of the winter season, it is common to encounter water main breaks throughout the community.  To counter and service these water emergencies, the South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) and its well-organized and dedicated field crew is on-call and prepared to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Despite 2011 being one of the busiest winter seasons, SFWD has managed to uphold its swift response time, with all calls promptly answered.  The District’s commitment to quality service was demonstrated during one of Long Island’s most recent snowstorms when it responded to a serious problem involving a broken water main on Val Page Street in South Farmingdale on January 28th.

“As soon as we saw water pouring out all over the street, we called the South Farmingdale Water District,” said a local resident.  Within 30 minutes of the call, a SFWD field inspector assessed the damage, notified his supervisor and a crew of five showed up from their homes and started repairing the water main break.

“We’re proud of our response time to any water emergency,” said South Farmingdale Water Commissioner Ralph Atoria. “We have a very dedicated, well-trained staff and we’re thankful for their commitment to their job and their community.” He continued, “Our responsibility is to always keep our consumers safe and provide an uninterrupted supply of quality drinking water at all times.”