HomeMy WebLinkAboutWater Advisory Committee 1983TOWN OF SOUTHOLD WATER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
REPORT
TO THE
SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD
AUGUST 29, 1983
The North Fork Water Supply Plan completed for the County of Suffolk
has detailed the various technical and financial aspects associated
with providing a potable water supply to areas of Southold where the
groundwater is contaminated or in limited supply.
The findings and alternatives presented in the Plan'were helpful to
the Southold Town Water Advisory Committee in its deliberations
leading to the formulation of this report to the Southold Town Board.
The committee advocates the continued use of private wells in sparsely
populated areas and the formation of neighborhood or community water
systems where practical, with treatment as required.
Preventive measures to minimize further degradation of groundwater
quality must be implemented and remedial action taken to provide a
safe, reliable water supply to residents of the town.
The Town of Southold recognizes the need to protect its water supply
due to the limited size and fragile nature of the aquifer. The town
established the Water Advisory Committee in response to the crisis
created by widespread pesticide contamination in agricultural areas
and the realization that other contaminants threaten the town's
water supply.
Southold is addressing the problem of limited water supply by
~ncreasing minimum lot size and updating the town's Master Plan to
more accurately reflect appropriate land use relative to water
supply.
The town must remain reliant on its own groundwater resources. The
committee.does not advocate the construction of a regional pipeline
-from areas outside the town. The establishment of a regional pipeline .
'would not only increase the rate of development of open space and
farmland, but also encourage greater densities than desired, causing
the loss of the rural nature of the town. The financial costs
associated with such a system would be unnecessarily burdensome to
town residents.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The committee recommends the Town Board of Southold correspond
directly with its state and federal representatives, the United
States Environmental-Protection Agency, New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation and United States Department of
Agriculture -- the agencies with responsibility for registration
and control of agricultural chemicals -- and demand an accounting
of actions being taken to prevent the continuing contamination of
the drinking water supply for Southold Town; in particular:
How has the pesticide registration process been changed
to insure that new chemicals will not leach into our
drinking water supply?
e
What action is being taken to review chemicals already
registered to insure they are not contaminating the
groundwater as aldicarb (Temik) has?
e
Why has no action been taken to protect the Long Island
aquifer f~om other compounds already found to have
contaminated drinking water in Southold (e.g., Vydate,
Dacthal, Dinoseb and 1,2 dichloropropane)?
Specifically, what action is planned by the state
and federal governments to implement the cleanup of
contaminated areas and provide financial aid to
localities where groundwater is contaminated?
II':
The committee recommends that the town establish a Water
Management Program with the responsibility of coordinating all
water supply activities in Southold, and to design and implement
an individual home filter program. The committee recommends the
Town Board appoint its own water supply staff for the program
and request additional technical advice from the Suffolk County
Department of Health Services and Greenport Water District as
required. ~
The Water Management Program should analyze an~ recommend the
best method to provide and maintain individual filters. Due to
the complexity of the filtration methods required to remove
nitrates, chlorides, pesticides, and the aesthetic problems
caused by iron and manganese, more detailed information on the
cost and efficiency of various treatment units is required.
The usefulness of carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, and ion
exchange units should be rated according to information and
specifications provided by the manufacturer, and additional
technical advice provided by the Suffolk County Department of
Health Services.
(continued)
The committee recommends ownership of the filters by
participating individuals in order to insure they are treated
with reasonable care and to avoid unnecessary expense for the
town. Maintenance of the filters should be controlled by the
Water Management Program to insure continuity of service and
reliability.
It is recommended the town require new home construction
utilizing individual wells which are contaminated to partici-
pate in the filter maintenance program once established.
When existing homes or businesses with contaminated wells are
not supplied with public water, they should be encouraged to
participate in the filter program on a voluntary basis.
Th~ committee recommends that the Water Management Program
.implement a means of providing filters to those elderly and
poor residents who cannot afford to purchase a treatment unit.
Use of Community Development Funds or creation of a revolving
fund utilizing a town bond should be investigated.
It is recommended that the town and county require water sample
analysis be recorded with the deed of every home or business
supplied by an individual well when sold to a new owner. If
the well water quality does not meet standards, the buyer or
seller should be required to provide a potable water supply by:
1. connection to public water;'
2. installation of a replacement well whose quality
meets standards; or
3. p~rticipation in the town filter program.
The committee recommends the Water Management Program
investigate {he viability of expanding the utilization of
bottled water vending machines such as the unit installed at
the Senior/Youth Center in Peconic. Initial price, public
acceptance, reliability and monitoring costs should be
considered if the town or its contractual representative is
considering additional vending machines.
III ·
The Town Planning Board should require that their planning
consultants, Raymond, Parish, Pine and Weiner, incorporate
detailed water supply protection and conservation measures
into the Master Plan update. The committee recommends the
Master Plan update not call for higher densities in existing
hamlets without provisions to provlde open space to be used
as watershed. Both the quality and quantity of future water
supplies should be provided for by:
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IV.
(continued)
1. setting aside suitable acreage to be used as
watershed;
requiring any application requesting an increase
in density to dedicate as watershed undeveloped,
non-agricultural acreage equivalent to the prevailing
zoning;
requiring limitations on maximum lawn areas in order
to leave a minimum of twenty (20%) percent of the
property in natural growth and to encourage use of
water-saving devices.
These actions will have the additional benefit of preserving
woodlands and other open space.
The committee recommends that the Town Board confer with the
Suffolk County Department of Health Services and pass the
necessary legislation to require any new community water systems
created by new subdivisions to be deeded upon completion to the
town or Greenport Water District. Consideration for fire flow
should be given in new subdivision water supplies. A one-year
maintenance fee or bond should be required of the developer to
insure operational efficiency.
Ve
The committee recommends that, subject to the approval of the
residents of the proposed water district, the Town of Southold
acquire, upgrade and operate the water system in Mattituck Hills
· (Captain Kidd).
The fgasibility studies to determine how the present water quality
of the Greenport Water District might be improved should be
continued, and the measures found most practical and fiscally
possible should be implemented.
It is recommended that the town consider acquiring wellsites and
establish satellite public water systems where economically
feasible in the hamlets. The added benefit of increased fire
protection would be provided by the formation of these new
community water systems in the developed areas.
The committee strongly supports the recommendations of the North
Fork Water Supply Plan as they pertain to Orient. The available
fresh water supply is limited, and future development should be
tightly controlled and result in water requirements consistent
with the permissive sustained yield of the aquifer in Zone 5
as designated in the North Fork Water Supply Plan. It is
recommended that only variances resulting in less water usage
be approved. In addition, the Orient area should be upzoned
- 4 -
(continued)
from two to three-five acres to prevent further contamination
and depletion of the water supply. If future development is
more water-use intensive, the permissive sustained yield in
the area will be exceeded, and existing residents would be
adversely impacted.
VI.
It is recommended that a townwide information program be
established to promote public understanding of the water supply
situation. The program should emphasize the fragile nature of
the town's aquifer and further the conservation and protection
of the drinking water supply by encouraging residents to avoid
the use and improper disposal of products which have the
potential for contaminating the groundwater.
The information program should also be used to publicize the
home filter program and urge residents to make use of the
Suffolk County Department of Health Services' well testing
program for pesticides in those homes which have not yet
received filters.