Long Island’s Water Supply Remains Unaffected Amidst COVID-19

The Long Island Water Conference, an association of more than 50 water suppliers and other industry partners—as well as the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners Association—would like to remind all Long Islanders that the public’s drinking water supply remains unaffected by the COVID-19 outbreak. While changes to some customer-facing services and non-emergency work have been implemented, water providers have not experienced any issues in carrying out the operations of delivering water to residents’ homes.

“Water providers throughout Long Island have shown once again that there is no emergency they are not prepared to handle,” stated Richard Passariello, Chairman of the Long Island Water Conference. “With swift and deliberate actions, water providers quickly implemented policies that protected the health and safety of their employees as well as the residents they serve without jeopardizing water quality or their ability to meet demand.”

Even though the global pandemic is increasing local health concerns, Long Islanders can rest assured that the convenience of tap water is something that will continue unabated during these ever-evolving times. New York State regulations require all public water suppliers to routinely disinfect the water supply with low levels of chlorine. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed that these standard practices are an effective method for inactivating the COVID-19 virus.

“The high quality drinking water supply we provide has not and will not be impacted by the COVID-19 virus,” said Jeffrey W. Szabo, Chief Executive Officer of the Suffolk County Water Authority. “There is no need to drink bottled water as there is no risk to the water supply or our ability to deliver it to homes and businesses. The only aspects of our operations that have changed regarding our interactions with the public are temporary policies that limit access to our offices to protect the safety of our employees and our customers.”

Every water supplier is required by their governing health departments to have an emergency plan for a pandemic situation. These plans are meant to provide clear guidance for the operations and maintenance of water pumping and treatment facilities during this type of crisis. Water suppliers have also taken the additional measures to stock up on water treatment supplies and materials to make sure they have a healthy surplus to outlast any potential delivery issues.

“From the beginning of this pandemic, the physical delivery of water wasn’t a concern for water providers. However, there were some initial concerns that we could either see a shortage or inability to get key supplies for water treatment given the numerous work stoppages and increasing number of individuals becoming infected,” stated Marc Laykind, chairman of the Plainview Water District. “We quickly gathered reassurances on our concerns after conversations with our regions water suppliers and the numerous components of our supply chains, which have been reinforced with uninterrupted deliveries of these essential materials.”

With deliveries of crucial supplies not a present issue, water providers have been focusing much of their efforts in keeping their staff and plant operators safe. To promote the ongoing wellbeing of the staffs of water providers, they have implemented temporary policies that:

• Close public-facing facilities such as administrative offices
• Prohibit the acceptance of in-person and cash payments. For alternative payment options, please contact your local water provider.
• Prohibit employees from entering the homes of residents except for emergency situations
• Educate staff members on proper hygiene as well as disinfection protocols.
• Rearrange staff shifts to minimize contact with one another

“Long Island’s water industry, while made up of numerous different entities, is well organized and in constant communication about all facets of our operations,” stated Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioner Association Chairman William Schuckmann. “During a time when there is so much worry and concern about this virus, we are here to reassure all Long Islanders that we have and will continue to do what is necessary to keep producing an uninterrupted supply of water.”

Residents looking to learn more about the specific actions being taken by their water provider are encouraged to contact them at their main contact number. If a member of the public does not know who their water provider is, the Long Island Water Conference has created an interactive map that will help identify their provider. To locate a water provider, please visit, liwc.org/findyourwaterprovider and enter the address of your home or business into the search bar above the map.

Residents interested in learning more about Coronavirus prevention and preparation are encouraged to reach out to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and/or the Nassau County Health Department.