Bethpage, N.Y. (July XX, 2021)—Hurricanes bring heavy rains, strong winds, flooding and power outages to our region, but there is a reason why the community’s water service is never interrupted.This is not by luck or happenstance, but due to the long term and emergency planning by the Bethpage Water District (BWD). Even when the community loses its power during a hurricane or similar storm, the BWD is able to keep the water flowing thanks to the investments made to ensure all water pumping and treatment facilities are self-sustaining with their own power supplies.
“Our District has done a great job over the years to harden our emergency system infrastructure that enables us to operate regardless of the weather or circumstances caused by it,” said BWD Chairman John Coumatos. “Not only are our systems ready, but our staff is highly trained to maintain and operate emergency equipment. Our community’s water infrastructure is in very good hands thanks to the dedication and expertise of our staff.”
Water supply and distribution systems rely heavily on electricity. In the event of a power outage, the BWD has X emergency generator facilities ready to power each pumping station and treatment facility. The electrical generator facilities are maintained and kept up-to-date in order to make certain it can handle keeping all components online during a severe weather event. District employees also receive routine training on a variety of emergency situations so they are prepared to handle any emergency event.
The Bethpage Water District is also a member of New York’s Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (NYWARN), which supports emergency preparedness for water-related utility providers across the state. This network also includes disaster response and mutual aid amongst all water and wastewater utilities. As a proud member of NYWARN, the BWD is ready to assist any neighboring water systems in case of an emergency.
For more information aboutthe BWD’s storm preparedness or overall operations, please feel free to call the Water District at 516.931.0093 or visit the Bethpage Water District’s website at http://bethpagewater.com