Roslyn Water District residents 'upset' over contaminated well fix

Residents served by the Roslyn Water District packed the East Hills village theater Tuesday night for an informational meeting at which district officials presented their plans to address contamination at a well in Roslyn Estates.

The well on Diana’s Trail, one of eight well sites within the district, was shut down in November after water from the well began showing increasing levels of Freon-22, a refrigerant commonly used in air conditioning.

At the meeting, which stretched over 3½ hours, district officials explained their intentions to address the contamination by building an air stripper, a facility that forces air through the water, removing the contaminant from the water and dispersing it into the air.

But that plan has been under fire by residents worried about the health effects of the contaminant in the air, among other concerns.

Last month, the North Hempstead Town Board put off a vote on whether to issue $20.9 million in bonds for the air stripper and 10 other district projects, scuttling the district’s plans to quickly build the air stripper in time for the well to get back online by this summer, when water demand peaks.

Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth set the bond vote for the board’s Feb. 25 meeting and urged the district to hold this week’s public meeting with residents, who had complained about a lack of public information about the contamination and the remedy.

At Tuesday’s meeting, district officials again explained their reasoning for the air stripper, now set to be built by summer 2015, and warned residents that watering their lawns this summer could lead to a dangerous lack of water pressure and the possibility of emergency boil-water notices.

Some residents argued that the district should build the air stripper in Christopher Morley Park, away from nearby homes.

“Air quality should not be sacrificed to water quality,” said Brett Auerbach, who last year purchased a home next to the well in Roslyn Estates.

The district board’s chairman, Michael Kosinski, promised to follow up on all of the residents’ suggestions. “Obviously the community is upset. Our plans are set back,” he said. “You’ve made your point.”