Recently, some misleading statements have been circulated in our community concerning the quality and quantity of the water produced by the Manhasset-Lakeville's shallow well system in Manhasset Valley in the area of the Long Island Rail Road right-of-way. These statements were apparently prompted by an application now pending before the Village of Thomaston concerning the possible development of the former Town of North Hempstead property on the south side of the railroad for an assisted living facility. At the moment, that application is pending before the Village of Thomaston and the board of commissioners wishes to assure the public that the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District is closely monitoring this application and will do everything within its power to assure that any development of the property in question does not, in any way, adversely impact the water district's shallow well system.

However, the board feels compelled to respond to what we consider incorrect and misleading statements concerning the district's East Shore Road well system. Therefore, the board of commissioners wishes to take this opportunity to acquaint the public with the facts concerning this system of wells, its role in the district's overall water supply system and how the district will act to protect these wells.

The proposed development of the area included within the OB-A Zoning District as described in the Generic Environmental Impact Statement which includes lots 11, 13 and 14 will be subject to all NCDOH (Nassau County Department of Health) and NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) rules, regulations and guidelines concerning development in the vicinity of public water supply wells including the granting of protective easements to the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District for a 100' radius for any individual well, providing clearances from buildings, prohibition of storage chemicals, waste disposal and installation of seepage pits for disposal of sanitary waste to the ground, installation of sanitary sewers or other potentially hazardous operations. In addition, the NCDOH guidelines require that in ground sanitary disposal systems must be at least 150' clear of the water supply wells and the NYSDEC guidelines require at least 200' clearance from a well. The clearance distance can be increased at the discretion of either department. In this instance we understand that all sanitary waste will be collected at the development site and conveyed by pipe to the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District Sewage plant for treatment.

The district's East Shore Road well water system consists of 20 shallow wells with an average depth 130' - 140' below grade, screened in the Glacial Aquifer, and one Lloyd Well at approximately 408' in depth. The shallow system was constructed in 1911 and was rebuilt in 1965 when the then existing wells were abandoned and new wells drilled and placed in service.

The static water levels in both the original 1911 shallow well system and the rebuilt 1965 shallow well system are above the surface of the ground at the individual wells, which provides natural protection against seepage of surface liquids into the wells. Soil borings taken when the shallow wells were installed indicate that a clay confining layer is located throughout the well field and is located above the well screens.

The Shallow Well System at East Shore Road has provided approximately four percent of the district's annual potable water supply over the past five years. While this system remains valuable, the majority of water supplied to Manhasset and the surrounding communities is produced from our other 17 wells. All district wells, including the East Shore Road Shallow System and the Deep Well, are routinely sampled and analyzed in a laboratory for bacteriological and chemical constituents. The laboratory carrying out the examination and analysis of the water samples is approved by the NYSDOH as well as to the district by the laboratory.

All district wells, whether screened in the Glacial, Magothy or Lloyd Aquifer, must and do, meet the same stringent standards for water quality. All district water supply distributed from the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District well water supply system is of the highest quality.

The board, the district superintendent, their consulting engineers, Henderson & Casey, P.C. and the board's attorney, Eugene T. Cullen of Ackerman, Levine, Cullen & Brickman, LLP carefully review all applications filed within the district for water supply to serve new developments. In all cases the district, where necessary, requires modifications where it is determined that a potential hazard to water quality exists or where violations of NCDOH and/or NYDEC Rules and Regulations may occur. The same rigid review is being carried out concerning development under the OB-A Text Amendment for Senior Housing Incentive Zoning and the same criteria shall be used to judge the impact on the district of the proposed development at lots 11, 13 and 14.

The Board of Commissioners has been assured by the mayor of the Village of Thomaston that the village, in carrying out the application process, will ensure that the development of the property will not threaten, in any way, the water district's shallow well system. The board has requested detailed information concerning this issue and will continue to press for this information and insist that the final plans for development are entirely compatible with the safe, continued and efficient operation of the district's shallow well system at the East Shore Road Station.

In summary, be assured that the water supplied by Manhasset-Lakeville Water District meets and exceeds all federal and state standards for potable water and further be assured that the commissioners and staff are dedicated to see that high quality and ample supply continue.