Re-elected and newly elected water commissioners from 21 local water districts who are members of the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association (NSWCA) were sworn into office on January 1, 2025 to begin their three-year term. Each local water district is comprised of three commissioners on each board.

NSWCA Past-President and current South Farmingdale Water District Commissioner Ralph Atoria commented on the election results, “This election is always a superb example of local representation by and for each community as local voters are electing an individual who lives amongst them to safeguard their water, not only for today, but into the future.”

Voter-elected, commissioner-run districts (21 in total) provide water to over 620,000 consumers in Nassau and Suffolk counties. Newly-elected NSWCA President John Coumatos, who serves as Chairman of the Board for the Bethpage Water District added, “I am extremely pleased to welcome all our new and returning colleagues to the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association.”

Re-elected and newly elected water commissioners from each District are as follows:

• Emmanoyil Vlepakis, Albertson Water District                Re-elected
• John F. Coumatos, Bethpage Water District                     Re-elected
• John Morrison, Carle Place Water District                          Newly Elected
• Glenn Barnett, Cathedral Gardens Water District          Re-elected                           ­
• James Spanopoulos, Franklin Square Water District Newly Elected
• Alan Cooper, Garden City Park Water                                  Re-elected
• Bernard McCabe, Glenwood Water District                       Re-elected
• James Logan, Greenlawn Water District                             Re-elected
• Karl M. Schweitzer, Hicksville Water District                    Re-elected
• Thomas Abbate, Jericho Water District                               Re-elected
• Charles Savinetti, Jr., Locust Valley Water District        Re-elected
• Brian Morris, Manhasset-Lakeville Water District          Re-elected
• Michael E. Mazzola, Massapequa Water District            Re-elected
• Richard P. Niznik, Oyster Bay Water District                     Re-elected
• Andrew N. Bader, Plainview Water District                        Re-elected
• David Brackett, Port Washington Water District             Re-elected
• Michael Kosinski, Roslyn Water District                              Re-elected
• John Hirt, South Farmingdale Water District                     Re-elected
• Joseph Perry, South Huntington Water District                Re-elected
• Carl Kolansky, West Hempstead Water District               Newly Elected
• Rodney Caines, Westbury Water District                           Re-elected

Within a world of technological advancement, cyberattacks pose a legitimate risk, no matter the business or organization. At a recent meeting of the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association (NSWCA) the Commissioners received an overview and sat through a training on the state of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure from Overview Technology Solutions.

The 21 commissioner-elected Districts go through routine trainings to stay up to date on all matters related to water. Water service providers are responsible not only to deliver drinking water that meets all local, state and federal standards, but to safeguard its technology, internal systems and consumer information from potential cyberattacks.

Marc P. Menzies, CISSP, President and Chief Technology Officer from Overview Technology Solutions, reviewed current events and potential threats to water districts with the commissioners, and reinforced the importance of training and having an incident response plan in place.

“All water districts utilizing many forms of technology, as well as web- and app-based programs, and cybersecurity is always a top concern for each District. Information like this is invaluable and we’ll continue to be ahead of the bad actors and protect our technology infrastructure,” commented NSWCA President and South Farmingdale Water District Commissioner Ralph Atoria. “We take pride in bringing proactive guidance to our membership and we are thankful to Mr. Menzies for sharing his expertise.”

The home to one of the world’s greatest aquifer systems, Long Island’s water has come under great scrutiny in recent years due to emerging contaminants. As stewards of the water served to over 620,000 people, the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioner’s Association (NSWCA) member water districts have long been out front in the fight to safeguard Long Island’s water supply and sole source aquifer.

These emerging contaminants, sometimes referred to as ‘forever chemicals’, are in large part a pervasive legacy from Long Island’s industrial past, including WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Space Race that resulted in the United States becoming the first nation to put a man on the moon. Other emerging contaminants are byproducts of everyday household products such as non-stick kitchenware, food packaging and detergents, even paints, cleaning products and water-resistant clothing.

The presence of such contaminants is not limited to Long Island, this is a nationwide concern. New York State’s aggressive stance on emerging contaminants and definitive corrective actions began with the implementation of some of the country’s strictest regulations, and progress is being made.

NSWCA President Patricia Peterson stated, “Each of the NSWCA’s 21 member districts has different situations and different needs, but all emerging contaminants are being addressed with proper engineering, technology and filtration treatment systems. The single most significant fact for the public to understand is that all the water that goes into the distribution systems of all of our 21 NSWCA member districts meets or exceeds all local, New York State and federal MCL regulations, all of the time.”

The NSWCA member districts have been proactively involved in rectifying the problems even prior to the New York State mandates, standards and regulations. Given the advances in technology and the impetus from Albany, NSWCA member districts have constructed some of the most advanced water treatment systems in the country to ensure a plentiful supply of potable water.

“For example,” President Peterson commented, “Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) systems have been successfully designed, constructed and installed to remove 1,4-dioxane, and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration has proven to be the most effective means of removing PFOS and PFOA substances. Even with the presence of forever chemicals, it is far from a hopeless situation and much more of a hopeful situation. The science and technologies of today, as deployed by our 21 NSWCA member water districts, have proven to be effective remedies to yesterday’s legacies and they ensure the purity, potability and compliance of the water of tomorrow. Our commitment to safeguarding the future is unwavering.”

NSWCA Members ~

It is with sadness that we report that former Superintendent Richard “Woody” Woodwell has passed away. Arrangements are pending at this time.

Woody served the Hicksville Water District for over 50 years, starting in 1947 as a laborer at the height of the expansion of the Hicksville community. He worked his way through the ranks becoming a meter reader, water servicemen and water plant operator before serving as Hicksville Water District Superintendent from 1983 to 1998.

Woody was a Korean War veteran and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was also a member of the Long Island Water Conference and the American Water Works Association. Woody lived in Syosset and is survived by his son Justin.

At its annual Summer Networking Meeting and BBQ, member commissioners of the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association (NSWCA) met with local and state elected officials, water superintendents and business managers for an opportunity to discuss emerging trends, issues and objectives of local water service providers. The summer meeting was held at Hicksville Fire Department Station 3 and featured a keynote by guest speaker Paul Granger, P.E., Superintendent of the Hicksville Water District. Attendees collaborated on ways to continue to work together and achieve mutual goals in protecting and preserving Long Island’s water supply.

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