October 18, 2011

Legislator Ford Announces Sewer Treatment Plant Notification System for Residents

Residents can register for notifications of all reportable events

Nassau County Legislator Denise Ford announced a new email system designed to notify residents about reportable incidents at the County’s sewer treatment facilities. Events such as heavy rains and large storms, similar to the ones that have affected Nassau County this year, have the potential to cause overflows in the County sewage system which may overflow onto the street or into the bays.

The notification system allows residents to sign up to receive emailed Public Information Updates through the Nassau County website (www.nassaucountyny.gov/dpw).   Registrants will be notified within four hours of any reportable incident which results in a wastewater spill in any waterways near the Bay Park, Cedar Creek or Glen Cove sewer treatment plants. Those registered will receive an email notification from the Nassau County Department of Public Works when there is an incident that is required to be reported to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

The Nassau County Department of Health (DOH) has also established a telephone hotline, (516) 227-9700, for residents to call to determine if any event has caused the DOH to take any precautionary steps, such as ordering the closure of local beaches.

“Our bathers and fisherman need to know if and when the quality of our water is potentially compromised,” said Legislator Ford. “The new notification system provides a method for informing the public of potential incidents and efforts to fix the problem immediately.”

Legislator Ford urges all interested residents to sign up today at: www.nassaucountyny.gov/agencies/DPW/index.html