System to inform residents of spills

Nassau County officials, including Legislator Denise Ford (R-Long Beach), announced Tuesday the creation of a new email system to notify residents about incidents at the county’s sewer treatment facilities the same day they occur.

The notification system, officials said, will allows residents to sign up to receive emailed public information updates through Nassau County’s website. According to a press release issued by the county, those who register will be notified within four hours about any incident that results in a wastewater spill in any waterway near the Bay Park, Cedar Creek or Glen Cove sewage-treatment plants. The system will be made available starting Oct. 25, officials said.

Registrants will receive email notifications from the county’s Department of Public Works when there is an incident that must be reported to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, officials said.

The announcement comes after what many Long Beach residents described as a serious health hazard last fall, when the Bay Park plant was cited for numerous violations by the DEC when it was discovered that the plant had for months been releasing partially treated sewage in greater concentrations than allowed by environmental law. County officials attributed the problem to malfunctioning equipment at the plant. Brown plumes of effluent released into Reynolds Channel provoked an outcry from residents, who called on local and state officials to address the

situation.

“Since taking office, we have invested tens of millions of dollars in reversing the damage created by decades of neglect at Nassau County’s sewer-treatment plants,” County Executive Ed Mangano said in a statement. “… I have directed the county to create a communications notification system to help protect our residents and keep them informed of problems that occur at these facilities.”