Protecting Long Island Drinking Water Against Lead Contamination

LongIsland.com

LI Water Conference assures high water quality in wake of Flint, Michigan water crisis.

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Franklin Square, NY - January, 27th, 2016 - The Long Island Water Conference assures residents that there has been no lead contamination in their water supply for over 30 years. All Long Island water providers exhaustively test and treat for lead content. To ensure the water supply is not contaminated with lead, all Long Island water suppliers comply with the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) Lead and Copper Rule and treat the water by raising the pH to help prevent the leading of lead from household pipes and plumbing fixtures.

“On Long Island, public water suppliers have been providing treatment for corrosion control for over 30 years,” said Chairman of the Long Island Water Conference Ralph Pugliese. “Water providers take every precaution to ensure a situation like the one in Flint, Michigan never occurs on Long Island. We are fully transparent with test results and would never withhold any information pertaining to resident’s safety and the well-being of Long Island families.”

All Long Island water suppliers operate in accordance with USEPA’s Lead and Copper Rule, instituted 25 years ago. The regulation requires all systems to monitor drinking water by sampling the tap water from multiple households throughout our communities. If lead and copper concentrations exceed a certain level in more than 10 percent of customer samples, the system must take a number of actions to control the corrosion. The system is also required to inform people what steps they can take to replace lead service lines and safeguard their water.

All results of lead and copper testing are presented to Long Island residents each year in the Annual Water Supply Statement prepared by the individual water supplier and the tap water remains to be of the highest quality possible and safe to drink. For additional information, please visit the UPSEPA’s website, or contact your local water supplier.

About the Long Island Water Conference
The LIWC has been committed to providing pure and plentiful water for the Long Island community since 1951.  The LIWC aims to provide and maintain an adequate and safe water supply today, while anticipating the water concerns of future generations.  LIWC members provide more than 375 million gallons of clean water daily.  For more information visit liwc.org.