It is with great sadness that we share that Glenwood Water District Commissioner Peter A. Hesse passed away on Feb. 3, 2025.

Peter has been Commissioner with Glenwood Water District since 1969. Living right next door to the water district, a neighbor asked him if he was interested in becoming a commissioner … Peter garnered the required signatures and served ever since. During that time, he was a wealth of knowledge for all – knowing about any main breaks, water services, valves, hydrant issues and much more.  He helped everyone and was loved by all.

Throughout his career, Peter worked at LILCO, working his way up the ranks to a managerial position and retiring approximately 20+ years ago. Peter also worked as the Village Clerk at The Village of Sea Cliff for approximately six years. He was also an Honorary Member of The Glenwood Fire Department.

Peter passed away a day shy of his 83rd birthday. He is survived by his wife, Kathleen, their three daughters Robin, Barbara and Tarra, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

NSWCA Hosts ‘Lead/Copper Ruling Compliance Forum’ Presented by D&B Engineers and Architects

The Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association (NSWCA) recently hosted a Lead/Copper Ruling Compliance Forum regarding the latest ruling issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A thorough presentation was made by subject matter expert Anthony Eagan, P.E. of D&B Engineers and Architects, which included a step-by-step process of how water service suppliers such as the 21 Commission-Elected Districts must comply with the latest ruling from the national agency.

During the past few months, residents and commercial owners across Long Island may have received a letter from their local water service provider indicating if the water lines located in their homes or businesses are made of lead, galvanized steel, or non-lead materials. A national ruling was issued by the EPA for all water service providers across the country to take full inventory of water service lines in an effort to remove any possible lead from drinking water. The extensive EPA ruling overview delivered by Mr. Eagan included guidance, direction, and recommendations for Districts to prepare and deliver communications to customers of the inventory that was taken during a mandated three-year period.

“All of our member Districts are committed to supplying clean water that meets or exceeds all local, state, and federal guidelines for safe drinking water. Mr. Eagan did a tremendous job breaking down what’s necessary for water service providers such as ourselves to communicate this important information to our respective customers,” commented NSWCA President and South Farmingdale Water District Commissioner Ralph Atoria. “We are thankful to Mr. Eagan for sharing his expertise and guidance. I’m pleased to report that all 21 Commissioner-Elected Districts have complied with the latest ruling from the EPA, and each District will speak directly with its customers if lead service lines were identified in their homes, and the steps that need to be taken to change them out in the future.”

1st Vice President Michael E. Mazzola presented Commissioner Atoria the award.

At a recent meeting of the Nassau Suffolk Water Commissioners’ Association (NSWCA), the association elected a new board and board president to serve through 2025.

The newly elected 2025 NSWCA board includes President John F. Coumatos of the Bethpage Water District; 1^st Vice President Michael Mazzola of the Massapequa Water District; 2^nd Vice President Joseph Perry of the South Huntington Water District; Treasurer Michael J. Kosinski of the Roslyn Water District; and Secretary Scott Greco of the Bethpage Water District.

President Coumatos recognized 2024 NSWCA president and current South Farmingdale Water District Commissioner Ralph Atoria by stating, “As a long-standing member and true leader in the water industry, Commissioner Atoria has steered our 21-member districts in a positive direction throughout his board tenure. We’re grateful to have had Commissioner Atoria at the helm of our association, and we thank him for his service.”

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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