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Health & Fitness

My comments to the PSC Regarding Rockland's Water Supply

Below is a transcript of my comments on the future of Rockland’s water supply and demand at last night's PSC Hearing at Clarkstown South High School. 

We’re here today to discuss Rockland’s water supply and demand. For the past few years, we’ve been told by United Water that without immediate action, we face critical shortages in the near future. But the evidence has shown that United Water’s prognostications may be premature and without real substance. The evidence, in fact, points to a healthy water supply for Rockland County if were diligent with its maintenance. An overhaul is not in order.

United Water asserts that we need a new water supply because water demands will eclipse supply in the near future. But science is on the side of Rockland’s concerned citizens, not United Water. The United States Geologic Survey has found that Rockland’s bedrock aquifers are not in danger. In fact, they are replenishing themselves at healthy rates, based on some 20-plus years of scientific evidence they’ve analyzed.

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In addition to the news that our aquifers are healthy, we also have learned that Rockland County’s already porous water sharing agreement with New Jersey has been continuously violated, and we’re sending too much of our water across state lines.

According to testimony by Dr. Daniel Miller of the Rockland County Department of Health before the Public Service Commission, United Water sent more than 19 million gallons of water per day to New Jersey in excess to the agreement and profited from it. But United Water was not penalized for violating this agreement. Rockland County residents are using significantly less water over the past decade, dropping from 71 gallons per family in 2005 to 62 gallons in 2009. So the 19 million gallons per day that’s over-shared with Bergen could meet the water needs of more than 250,000 homes. Our critical the next agreement be strictly enforced, including stiff penalties for utility companies for over sharing. Future agreements must also include drought restriction reciprocity. Currently, when Rockland is under drought restrictions and water use limitations, Bergen County is not required to be under similar constraints despite sharing a water source. While Rockland residents can’t water their lawns and restaurants can’t serve glasses of water, they can still fill their pools and kids can still play with slip n’ slides in Bergen. Such an arrangement is patently unfair to Rockland residents and businesses. We must take action to make this agreement more equitable.

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Another cause of concern is the significant loss of treated water sent to New Jersey in an aging pipe infrastructure. According to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, United Water’s Garden State operations lost more than 10.6 billion gallons of treated and processed water in 2011 – more than 26 percent of the utility’s total treated water. This high rate of loss is avoidable, but it would continue unabated under United Water’s plan, which does not address these infrastructure concerns in its own backyard. The discussion we should be having is not be whether we should pay for a new water source in Rockland, but how to fix critical problems with an aging delivery system that causes a great amount of costly and avoidable waste.

United Water justifies their call for new water sources based on an anticipated shortfall caused by the increased demands of continued over-development. And yes, rampant overdevelopment has the potential reduce the recharging of subsurface aquifers, as there’s less rain water to replenish them. That’s why I strongly oppose developments like Patrick Farm. I do encourage smart, sustainable development, however, which utilizes permeable surfaces that can help recharge aquifers at even greater rates, while also reducing the potential of flooding. For example, a recently constructed permeable parking lot at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory will reduce water runoff at the campus by 25 percent and eliminate the need for detention basins. This permeable lot will also last 15 years longer than traditional paved parking.

The evidence I’ve highlighted points to Rockland County having ample water resources to sustain a moderately growing region, if we proceed smartly. The issues that must be addressed are an aging infrastructure, strict enforcement of water sharing agreements, conservation, fair allocation of resources, and smart growth and development to keep our aquifers adequately charged. Here in Rockland, we have access to many predominant experts in the field of water management and they can’t find justification for a United Water’s Plan. We should be listening to them, and not rely on the opinion of the utility.

Thank you.

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