On Feb. 20, the commissioners of the Hicksville Water District conducted their 5th Annual Community Forum on the proposed Master Plan for the Water District.

Commissioner Richard A. Humann, chairman, explained to those present that a Master Plan provides a comprehensive analysis of the water supply needs and the water quality issues facing the district today and likely to be faced tomorrow. Based upon an analysis of the district needs, they are able to prepare a capital program that systematically addresses the issues confronting the community. The proposed capital program will require the issuance of municipal bonds to fund the program and the issuance of municipal bonds which are subject to public hearings with the Town Boards of Oyster Bay and Hempstead.

Joining Humann were fellow commissioners Karl Schweitzer and Nick Brigandi along with the evening's presenters, including accountant Vincent Cullen, CPA from Coughlin, Foundotos, Cullen, and Danowski and Consulting Engineer John Molloy, president and CEO of the Holzmacher, McLendon & Murrell, PC.

The detailed presentation started with a review and discussion of the water district's financial condition, fund balances, capital reserves and capital fund balances. Cullen pointed out to the audience that the district has held the line on taxes for the past three years. Another key element of the presentation was his point regarding the annual capital investment program for the district that results in an annual expenditure of about $2 million.

The Master Plan envisions the district taking on bonded indebtedness of $18.6 million with borrowings over the next few years to cover the needed capital program. The program is principally for additional water treatment. Cullen showed that the debt service [principal and interest] on the bonding that the district proposes is less than its current capital program. This will allow the district to finance the program with no increase in taxes.

The program continued with a presentation on the water quality issues being faced by the district and the need to provide additional treatment. A review of the environmental impacts to the community from nitrates and volatile organics chemicals [volatiles] was presented by the district's engineer, John Molloy, PE. He pointed out that nitrates are present in groundwater and have a standard of 10 parts per million. They result from the past practice of agriculture and the use of nitrogen based fertilizers on Long Island. Nitrates also resulted from the discharge of wastewater to the groundwater.

Although sewers were installed in Hicksville over 25 years ago, the impacts of past practices will be felt for decades to come. Three different plant sites will require treatment for nitrates - Plant 8; Plant 6; and Plant 1. These sites each have two wells and are key elements of the water system; the district has 15 active wells. Treatment for nitrates is a new requirement for Hicksville but the district anticipated the need by successfully completing a pilot program for nitrates and receiving approval on their approach from Nassau County.

The technical side of the program continued with Molloy outlining the issues relating to volatile organic compounds in groundwater. He pointed out that these chemicals are the result of the improper disposal of hazardous materials or contaminated wastewater from industry. Much of this contamination occurred many decades ago - well before sewers were installed and chemical storage was modernized. The standard for volatiles is five parts per billion. The district already has treatment in-place at various district plant sites - Plant 1; Plant 4; Plant 5; Plant 8; and Plant 9. These sites collectively have a total of 10 wells supplying water to the community. Hicksville's first treatment plant for volatiles was installed in 1983.

The water district's proposed capital program includes reactivation of Plant 3 - treatment will be required here for both nitrates and volatiles; Plant 11 - this well was just recently impacted by volatiles; and Plant 5 - the treatment system needs to be upgraded due to ever-increasing volatile levels in the groundwater. Molloy indicated that the district has environmental attorneys working on cost recovery from polluters for Plant 5 and for Plant 11.

The Hicksville Water District has been assisted through the actions of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in both cases. The overall Master Plan also includes important elements that deal with the district's need to address long-term infrastructure upgrades. The water mains of the district will need to be addressed through a long-term replacement program. The Master Plan also addressed the requirement for preventive maintenance through upgrades of three major ground storage tanks.

The meeting was concluded with remarks by Commissioner Humann who highlighted key elements of the evening's presentations. He stated that the program had critical essential elements and that there was little choice but to move ahead. The only open question was one of funding. Humann stressed that the district could complete this major endeavor with no increase in taxes.

Commissioner Schweitzer then outlined some of the next steps in the process - an independent review of the engineer's recommendation; a meeting with Oyster Bay Town Supervisor John Venditto and Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray; continued communication with the community; meeting with bond council; and, the formal request for bonding and their associated town board hearings.

Schweitzer then opened the floor to questions from the audience. There were a number of questions that were answered by the district.

Overall the program was very well received.