American Water to pour $300K into Baldwin

Baldwin will benefit from infrastructure improvements to its water service when New York American Water replaces some nearly 100-year-old service lines.

American Water recently invested $300,000 to change several water service lines from an existing 4-inch main installed in 1925 to newer 8- and 12-inch ductile iron mains installed in 1987.

“This infrastructure project should result in improved water quality and service reliability, not only for residents, but also for firefighters,” said Greg Sachs, engineering project manager for American Water.

“This project is just one of the many projects we have in the works to improve service to our Long Island customers and one of the many that has taken place in the Baldwin community over the past several years,” said Carmen Tierno, the water company’s president.

“Connecting each of these homes to the upgraded water main will help to improve their water quality and increase pressure at their showerheads and faucets,” he added.

The scheduled water main project began on Monday, and will take place along four different roads in Baldwin: Park Avenue (from Merrick Road to Southard Street), Central Avenue (from Clinton Place to Merrick Road), Clinton Place (from Harrison Avenue to Central Avenue) and Southard Street (from Park Avenue to Grand Avenue).

Residents should note that sections of the streets under construction might be closed to traffic during work hours.

“All the work is going to be done during daytime hours between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. — While we are working on each house’s water service, there will be an interruption of water for two to three hours per home,” said Sachs.

American Water will work on about 90 homes in Baldwin, at a rate of about four homes a day, according to Sachs, and while there is no current end date, the company expects to complete the work within two to three weeks.

“New York American Water is committed to making needed investments to improve water quality and service reliability for our customers,” Richard Kern, the company’s production manager, said in a recent news release.

This won’t be the only improvement for the community — American Water will also be flushing the water distribution system later this spring.

The process of flushing the system is part of the company’s maintenance program, to clear mineral deposits and sediment that may have built up over time inside the pipes. The process also includes flushing fire hydrants to ensure they are functional. 

“Our mission is to provide the highest-quality water to our customers, and it’s why we’re motivated to start this project for the Baldwin community,” said Tierno

Residents who have concerns or questions about the planned work can call the New York American Water customer service center at (877) 426-6999.