The environmental impact of several new construction projects on Long Island has long raised concern among Long Islanders, but according to the superintendents of the Oyster Bay, Bayville, and Jericho Water Districts, local drinking water is currently clean and plentiful, and will remain so as long as conservation policies are obeyed.

There is however one local concern: The proposed AvalonBay Communities luxury apartment complex on Pine Hollow Road may require the Oyster Bay Water District to sink another well at a cost of approximately $1 million but the plans for the complex have not yet been submitted to the water district, according to Oyster Bay Water District Superintendent Karl Dahlem.

Local water officials assert that the quality of drinking water in Oyster Bay, Bayville and the surrounding villages and hamlets is excellent and that there is an ample supply. Because of the absence of bacteria concentrations and other contaminants, the Oyster Bay and Bayville Water Districts only add caustic soda to the water to raise its pH so that the pipes don't corrode. The Jericho Water District also adds chlorine to prevent bacterial infections because they have not applied for a waiver not to do so. Each district monitors its water daily, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, and annually according to local and state regulations.

"We're very fortunate...you don't need to spend your money foolishly on bottled water," Mr. Dahlem said.

The Oyster Bay Water District, which supplies water to the hamlet of Oyster Bay, Upper Brookville, Mill Neck, Oyster Bay Cove and Laurel Cove, pumps its water from the Magothy aquifer, which is a large freshwater resource located above the Lloyd aquifer. According to Mr. Dahlem, approximately 600,000 to 700,000 gallons of water are pumped per day in the district, although this number increases in the summer months.

In the Jericho Water District, most residents exceed the estimated 120 to 150 gallons of water used by each person per day on Long Island. Last year, the Jericho Water District's maximum pumping day occurred July 11, 2004, when the district pumped 29.741 million gallons of water - nearly six times the 5.298 million gallons of water that were pumped on the district's minimum pumping day last February. Although the water supply can currently handle the demand, superintendent of the Jericho Water District Peter Logan said that conservation must always be kept in mind.

"There is an adequate supply of water although I do believe that conservation is a must...just because the product is there and is in plentiful supply doesn't mean we should waste it," Mr. Logan said.

Local residents must obey a number of local and state regulations aimed at conservation. For example, people are not allowed to water their lawns between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. because the water would evaporate too quickly, and residents must water their lawns on alternate days, according to their house address. The Oyster Bay, Bayville, and Jericho Water Districts have also instituted a step-block billing structure that charges people more money for using larger quantities of water, although this has met with mixed results.

"Some people are going to obey and try to conserve, and other people don't care how high the bill is," Mr. Logan said. "Most people do their part to conserve water. Unfortunately there are a few who feel that conservation is everyone else's problem and disregard any rules pertaining to restricted water use." He added that the Jericho Water District has a full-time director of water conservation on staff.

Mr. Dahlem was hopeful for the future. "If everybody does their part in conserving water and protecting the water supply, there should not be problems for years to come," he said.

Although certain communities add supplements to their water such as fluoride to promote general health, none of the districts on Long Island do so. According to Mr. Dahlem, the benefits of fluoride only affect children and can be obtained by proper dental hygiene. In addition, because exposure to large quantities of fluoride can cause dental fluorosis - a molting of the teeth - Mr. Dahlem believes that the water is best left untouched.