|
Port Washington Water District
Announces 95th Anniversary!
There have been many unpredictable changes in the world over the past 95 years, but for the Port Washington Community, a constant fact has been the quality of our water.As you can imagine, the entire team at the Port Washington Water District is extremely proud of that achievement as we mark our 95th anniversary. We continue to honor and ulfill our mission to every resident and business, which is produce and maintain the same great quality water and provide responsive customer service that has always been our number one priority.
|
Port Washington Water District Team |
Over these 95 years, we have made constant improvements, upgraded our technology, and kept abreast of all developments that affect your water supply. Two important areas we've modernized are monitoring and security. The water system now is run and monitored by computers that can detect and react more quickly to changing conditions than a human could. Recently, we have installed security systems specifically designed to meet the challenges of today's world of potential threats.
Our district has grown; we can all see major changes in the last 25 years, let alone 95 years. To keep pace, we have developed resources, put the needed infrastructure in place, and increased production with no compromise in quality.
But the really good news is we have been able to do all this with virtually no major impact on your water rates. The truth is, your water bill is probably your smallest utility bill, as it has been over the years. We are proud to deliver such a vital product at an extremely low cost, and we are determined to continue doing so. We'd like to thank everyone past and present who has made the Port Washington Water District the great district that it is today, and we'd like to extend our deepest appreciation to all the residents who are part of our system for making our community a great place to live.
Hometown Rule Makes Sense
For decades, local communities have been responsible for financing and regulating its own water supply. In fact, progress and improvement have come promptly and appropriately, without the bureaucratic disadvantages associated with massive political governing bodies. Your District operates 24/7 with a staff of 19 serving approximately 45,000 people.
 |
Water Commissioners Peter Meyer (L) and Thomas J. Murry, Jr. (R) meet with Assembly Women Michelle Schmiel and New York State Senator Craig Johnson, Port Washington to discuss various water topics and how they relate to Port Washington. |
Local hometown rule for water districts means that each community can elect its own officials. Historically, the officials arelong-time community residents who also volunteer for the general welfare of the community in other ways.
One issue that has been raised is money, as it relates to taxes, spending and accountability. With hometown rule, tax dollars go directly to the production of high quality water for the community. This is an extremely small portion of the overall tax dollar. It has historically been applied directly to service and is sufficient enough to update technology, as well as handle all water emergencies. All records of income, distribution and management are matters of public record.
The Port Washington Water District is in favor of ways to reduce taxes, but consolidation of all the water districts is not the solution. Traditionally, your water bill has always been the lowest utility billand the District will continue to keep it that way.
Priority #1: Customer Service
The professional team at the Port Washington Water District understands how critical it is to deliver reliable, high quality water to the community, and our office personnel is available to help you with your questions and service problems during business hours. In the event of a water emergency that needs immediate attention, you can call the District 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and a service technician will be notified to contact you within minutes.
By managing and staffing the District with people who know the area and its residents, we can provide a level of excellence that would be difficult to match any other way. Our goal is to be 100% responsive to inquiries or suggestions from our residents. The dedicated people who work in the District understand the concerns of our customers and know how important it is to listen, learn and provide excellent professional service.
And thank you for letting us serve you!
 January 7, 2008
Mr. Italo Vacchio
Port Washington Water District
38 Sandy Hollow Road
Port Washington, NY 11050
Dear Tal:
On behalf of the residents of Manorhaven and myself, I want to tell you how much we appreciate the great work the men and women of the Port Washington Water Department did on December 17, 2007 while responding to the water main break on Cambridge Avenue. Your professionalism and expertise was of the highest quality.
You and your staff could not have done a better job dealing with the cold, ice and the volume of water that was on the roads that 23-degree morning. Your cooperation with the Port Washington Fire Department, Nassau County Police, and the Village staff was nothing more than remarkable.
In the Village newsletter, I will let the residents know how hard you and your staff worked in order to have their water service restored in less than 12 hours and the road repaired within 48 hours. While there are some people and some in the press who have a problem with special districts, perhaps they should know how hard you and your staff worked to resolve what should have been a major catastrophe.
Please wish each and every member of the Department, a Happy and Healthy New Year for me.
Respectfully,
Nicholas B. Capozzi
Port Washington
Water District and Your Water Supply…
The Best Bargain on your Tax Bill
 The facts regarding the efficiency of the Port Washington Water District are pretty clear when you review these two charts. The Port Washington Water District’s share of a typical tax bill is less than 1%. In 2004, the District implemented its only rate increase in over 15 years.
The financial control and oversight of the Port Washington Water District is in the hands of three local, and locally elected, Commissioners. Each lives within the District as do many of the District employees.
• Local Control
• Local Contacts
• Local Supervision
• Less Than 1% of Your Tax Bill
• Identifiable Cost…Water and Only Water
With a minimum billing rate of just $48.00 per year, the District is proud to be one of the real values on your tax bill… and, unlike Town or County “General” taxes, you know exactly what your water tax pays… the cost of providing an adequate supply of quality water.
For 94 years the Port Washington Water District has provided this service. Continuing to be able to make that statement is our primary focus. Equally important for the District and our customers is the fact that we provide this quality water economically and with fast reaction times to protect your water supply.
As you can see from these charts, whether you are comparing your water costs to your other utilities or other taxes, the cost of supporting these efforts is minimal.
This fact is emphasized when you consider the District must be capable of delivering up to 27.6 million gallons on any given summer day… and maintain the 120 miles of water pipe that delivers this quality water to your home 24/7. When you add up the benefits of local response, local control, local responsibility, quality management and operations plus the record of cost control, it is doubtful that a county-wide or island-wide government would be inclined to meet these same levels of this same value and service.
Kidney Dialysis Users
Persons using a Kidney Dialysis Machine at their residence, or require potable water for other medical treatment, are encouraged to contact the Port Washington Water District office with telephone numbers where they can be reached in case of a water supply emergency.
Aquafacts
• One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters interviewed in a university study.
• Lack of water is the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.
• Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.
• A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen.
• Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.
|
Keeping The Back-Up Systems
Here are the key points to your new bill: