As far as West Hempstead resident and West Hempstead-Hempstead Gardens Water District candidate Michael Uhl knows, his opponent in the upcoming water district election has virtually run unopposed for three decades.

One of the three current water commissioners Tony DiGnoti has held the position for 33 years. However, Uhl is challenging DiGnoti this time around because he believes strongly in protecting the drinking water of residents of West Hempstead, Franklin Square and Garden City South.

Uhl describes himself as a community activist and is concerned with environmental dangers that could affect drinking water. If elected, among some of his goals would be to supply the purest possible drinking water and protect the land above the wells from pollution and pesticides.

Uhl is concerned about chemical pesticides being used by residents as well as potentially by some golf courses in addition to pollution issues at state parks, which could eventually affect drinking water. "I'm hoping that if I win, the office of water commissioner will help me push these environmental issues forward," he said.

Part of Uhl's goal would be to get residents and golf courses to start using more organic products. According to Uhl, the Nassau County Health Department, which oversees all the water commissions, tests for 40 pesticides. Uhl points out that there are approximately a thousand pesticides being used. "My whole point is what we don't know could hurt us. We should use less pesticides," he added. "If I win or don't win, I want to work with the commissioners to make golf courses organic and to get the message out to the homeowners that they should be using less pesticides because they could be ending up in your or your neighbor's drinking water."

Water commissioner is a three-year term. The difficult battle facing Uhl is not only motivating residents to vote, but informing them that there is an election for water commissioner. "Most people don't know about this," he said.

Uhl acknowledged that no one is guilty of putting pesticides in the water and he isn't blaming the water commission for the use of pesticides. However, he does feel that environmental awareness is important and until more is found out about the dangers of certain pesticides, residents as well as golf courses and parks should be cautious when using them. "If you don't know, then you really have to be conservative. When you're coming around a turn in a car, are you doing 90 miles per hour or are you doing 20? You don't know what's around the turn just like you don't know what the [harmful] pesticides are because you're not sophisticated enough to test for all of them."

He said one chemical pesticide, Atrazine, a suspecting cancer-causing agent, is present in one of the ten water wells. That well, however, has not been online so Atrazine has not gone into the public's supply of water. However, Uhl is concerned that since all ten wells are part of the Magothy aquifer, the underground body of water that provides drinking water, a potentially dangerous chemical pesticide could get into other wells.

However, Atrazine is presently tested for so that if a presence is detected in a well, that well is shut down. "There are pesticides in the wells but luckily we test for it so it's not getting in our drinking water," Uhl said.

However, the candidate is concerned about the potential presence of chemical pesticides that aren't known well enough to be tested for. He, therefore, said would make a conscious effort to encourage the use of organics.

In addition, Uhl said he would work toward prompt response to service call from customers, utilizing up-to-date technology and consultants to improve water quality and having sufficient maintenance of the distribution system.

Voting to elect a water commissioner for the West Hempstead-Hempstead Gardens Water District will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 12 from 6-9 p.m. Franklin Square and Garden City South residents can vote at the Washington Street School, 760 Washington Avenue. West Hempstead residents can vote at the Chestnut Street Library, 252 Chestnut Street.