North Hempstead, NY – Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth, Town Clerk Wayne Wink and Council Members Anna Kaplan and Peter Zuckerman recently joined Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, New York State Senators Todd Kaminsky and Elaine Phillips and Assemblyman Tony D’Urso, Citizens Campaign for the Environment Executive Director Adrienne Esposito and Mindy Germain of the Western Nassau County Aquifer Committee as they rallied against a New York City plan to pump water from a series of wells in Queens.

Those gathered at the press conference held on the steps of the Theodore Roosevelt County Executive and Legislative Building in Mineola called on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to complete a scientific study before renewing a permit which would allow the City to reopen the wells.

“Our drinking water supply is a precious and finite resource, not just here on Long Island, but across the country and across the world,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “We must stand together as the guardians of that resource as it is threatened by a proposed plan that would re-open 68 dormant ground water wells causing a massive drain on our water supply system that could have devastating effects.”

For the full text of Supervisor’s comments see below:

Freon 22 in the water supply in Glen Cove.
Dangerous levels of lead in the water in Flint, Michigan.
Disastrous drought conditions in California.
What once was plentiful…what once was clean and pure, is not so much anymore.

Our drinking water supply is a precious and finite resource, not just here on Long Island, but across the country and across the world. And here on Long Island our drinking water comes from one sole source--our aquifers.

We are here today to act as the guardians of that resource as it is threatened by the proposed plan by New York City to re-open 68 dormant ground water wells. This massive drain on our water supply system could have devastating effects.

We cannot…we will not allow this to happen. Our water supply here on Long island is so unique and really, such a miracle when you think about it. Here we live on an island surrounded by salt water, and yet nature has given us a most amazing water supply and filtration system…our aquifers…that lie thousands of feet below the ground. Way before Brita ever patented their water filter, Mother Nature had her own.

But our water supply is not an endless one. We have to protect it from toxic plumes that exist beneath the ground; from salt water intrusion and from over use.
The future generations of Long Islanders are depending on us. Thank you.