Bethpage, NY (April 21, 2014)— Superintendent Michael Boufis and Senior Water Plant Operator Peter Schimmel explained how water is taken from the ground and treated before it reaches the girl’s faucets each day. The girls will use their knowledge to pursue the Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) Long Island Water Conference (LIWC) Patch entitled “Every Drop Counts.”
“It is never too early to start teaching the youth of our community about their water supply,” said Board of Commissioners Chairman William J. Ellinger. “A general knowledge of where water comes from and how it is treated may spark interest in among the Girl Scouts who may choose to pursue future careers in the water utility industry.”
Approximately 20 Girl Scouts walked through the plant, inspecting pipes and viewing machinery to learn how they all play a part in the consistent delivery of water. The BWD team taught the Troop all of the safety features included in the daily function of the plant including water testing and the automatic alerts sent to the cellphones of district personnel in case of an emergency or malfunction. Employee Schimmel was able to demonstrate the mobile application he uses to control the well from any location should he receive any type of update.
The Troop members also learned about the specific treatment processes active at the Plant-4 site. Girl Scouts passed around the filter media used in the air-stripping process in addition to handling jarred samples of carbon granular from the carbon filtration system. They asked questions as to how water is rid of contaminants after these processes. During the last part of the tour, girl scouts visited the filter room where they learned about advanced filtration processes including chemical injection to ensure the water delivered to homes is of the highest quality possible and contaminants are at a level of non-detect.
Plant-4 at Sophia Street was originally built in 1961 and was rehabilitated in 2010. The Girl Scouts toured two wells that pump water at a capacity of 1,400 gallons each per minute for a total of 4 million gallons of water a day.
To schedule a tour of a Bethpage Water District plant, please call the district at 516-931-0093. For more information, please visit www.bethpagewater.com or the district’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BethpageWaterDistrict.
Photo 1: Bethpage Water District Superintendent Michael Boufis show Nassau County Girl Scouts from Troop 3276 how cold the water is after it is taken from the ground and before it reaches their homes by feeling the temperature of the pipes during a tour of Bethpage Water District Plant #4.The girls will receive the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and Long Island Water Conference patch entitled “Every Drop Counts.”
Photo 2: Bethpage Water District Superintendent Michael Boufis and Senior Water Plant Operator Pete Schimmel teach Nassau County Girl Scout Troop 3276 where their water comes from during a tour of Bethpage Water District Plant #4.
Photo 3: Bethpage Water District Senior Water Plant Operator Pete Schimmel (far left) and Superintendent Michael Boufis (far right) host Nassau County Girl Scout Troop 3276 for a tour of Bethpage Water District Plant #4 to learn how water is delivered to homes and businesses each day and to receive the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and Long Island Water Conference “Every Drop Counts” Patch.
