HomeMy WebLinkAbout08/31/1990
FISHERS ISLAND WATER WORKS
Annual Report by Water Works Chairman to FIDCO stockholders
August 31, 1990
A 1970 report made by the engineering firm of Metcalf & Eddy
reported that the daily use of water had changed little in the
twenty years from 1950 to 1970. In 1987 the Trust for Public Land
Report stated that there had been a 4% increase in consumption
since 1960-67 but this becomes a negative figure when golf course
irrigation is removed.
With the construction of new homes in recent years, the lack
of increase in the use of water is perhaps surprising until one
remembers the substantial decrease in year-round population and the
elimination of golf course watering at the Fishers Island Club.
The latter accounted for just under 10% of annual island
consumption and under 5% of gross revenues.
Water sales and rainfall records are easily available for the
thirteen years 1977 through 1989. They show that in 1977, a year
of slightly above average rainfall, the utility sold 30,939,000
gallons. Twelve years later in 1989, a year of unusually heavy
rainfall, the utility sold 30,197,000 gallons. What is perhaps
surprising is that the very dry years 1987 and 1988 used only 14%
and 22% more water than 1989, the wettest year.
We should realize first that there has never been and should
not be in the foreseeable future a water shortage on Fishers
Island.
In most years, storage in Barlow Pond has been adequate. The
lake water storage for the utility consists of Middle Farms Pond,
Treasure Pond and Barlow Pond. From the January 1988 Buck and Buck
report we know that Barlow Pond represents 22% of the combined
watershed area and 22% of the pond surface area of the three ponds.
Even in the dry years when we have pumped some water from Middle
Farms Pond into Barlow Pond, the most of our available lake water
storage which we have used is 25-30%.
The problems the water company faced in 1987 did not include
a shortage of water. With no alternative water treatment facility,
the treatment plant at Barlow Pond had been in continuous operation
for over sixty years since it had been built in 1928. Upon flow
testing, the old Middle Farms wells remembered as "His" and "Hers"
were found to have over 90% of their output in water with unusably
high iron content. New wells were drilled in the Middle Farms area
and the output of these wells, with the addition of nominal amounts
of chlorine and soda, could be pumped directly into the water mains
and into the Chocomount reservoir. We shut down the old treatment
plant in January of this year and that plant has now been
completely rehabilitated. Since January of this year, all of the
water supplied to the island system has come from the wells and the
small treatment plant at Middle Farms. These wells appear to be
adequate to supply the entire island in a season of average
rainfall. Good well water such as we have been taking out of our
wells this summer is better and cheaper than processed lake water.
Much less electricity, chemicals and labor are needed.
Over the last ten years quite a number of private wells have
been drilled and connected to houses replacing the water supplied
by the utility. In most instances those residents having the wells
drilled did not understand the Suffolk County regulations or were
misled by the well drillers who obtained the drilling permits. The
permits were to drill wells for "irrigation purposes." After the
wells had been drilled and the irrigation water had been tested,
the wells were connected to the houses and the utility supply was
disconnected. This was done in spite of the fact that the
regulations of the Suffolk County Department of Health include the
following in section 14:
"All applications for approval to install
private water systems must include evidence
satisfactory to the Department that there
is no public water available. Connection
to a community public water system will be
required if the system has sufficient
capacity to service the applicant and the
mains of the system are within 150 feet of
the applicants property."
What are the results of these illegal private water systems?
1 - In spite of growth on the Island, there has been
no growth in the sale of water.
2 - The present lake and well system has the capacity
to supply five times the current demand.
3 - The present treatment plants have the capacity to
supply three times the current demand.
4 - By connecting private systems for potable water
use in homes, other home owners have had to accept
increased charges for their water.
5 - Unlimited pumping of private wells could potentially
endanger the water company wells.
6 - Those who have installed private water systems and
who no longer contribute to the cost of operating
the water utility still expect that utility pumping
and reservoir capacity will be made available to
them without charge in event of fire.
Obviously there are degrees of illegality and unfairness
resulting from the installation of private water systems. Legal
counsel has been retained to advise the water company as to
appropriate methods to stop the development of new potable private
water systems and to advise concerning the possible recoupment of
part of the charges which would have been paid to the water
company if the present private water systems had not been connected
to the houses.