As Water Commissioner of the South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD), it is my privilege and duty to keep you, our consumer, informed about issues that directly affect all of us regarding our water supply.

The SFWD is responsible for producing, maintaining and planning for the water supply in South Farmingdale, North Massapequa and parts of Bethpage and Seaford. And, adequate electrical power is essential to our operations.

This summer's heat has put a strain on electricity producers all over the country, and our area is no exception. With demand so high, many businesses and utilities were asked by New York State to help by selling surplus power to avoid brown outs or black outs as were experienced in 2003.

The SFWD, as part of our emergency systems, maintains back-up generators in the event that electricity goes down in times of emergency. This year, we have used these generators for a unique situation. When electrical demand across Long Island was high this summer, we used our back-up generators to maintain your water supply, while selling our spare "grid" electricity to New York State, for distribution to those communities that needed it most to avoid brown- or black-outs. These actions are managed by "Operation Save New York"1. administered by Energy Curtailment Specialists, Inc. As an experienced electrician for over 35 years, I assure you that this arrangement benefits both utilities, without any inconvenience to you, our valued customer.

Besides SFWD, many other Long Island water districts and corporations are contributing to this effort by using generators for up to 6 hours a day to allow electricity to be redistributed to meet overall demand.

The first week in August presented a particular strain on energy companies; and SFWD was called upon to cut back on grid power and use our generators. Along with 11 other participating water facilities, demand on the electric grid was reduced by more than 10 megawatts, which is enough electricity to power 10,000 homes.

By acting this way, and assisting our fellow utilities, New York State avoided many potential blackouts, and you (the customer), benefited by uninterrupted quality water service.

We hope you had an enjoyable summer and that you continue to enjoy the benefits of one of the nation's leading water supplies right here in our community...and thank you for doing your part in conserving our precious water supply.

We are here to serve you, so any questions, concerns, comments or suggestions are welcome. Contact the SFWD by phone anytime 249-3330, or visit our award-winning website: www.sfwater.com.

1. Energy Curtailment Specialists (ECS') manages Operation Save New York, a membership organization formed to reallocate electrical energy from industry to the community sector. Visit www.ecsny.com for information.