Local Civic Groups Team Up To Host Forum on Aqua's Proposed Wantagh Water Tower

Two local civic groups are teaming up to host a community meeting about Aqua New York’s  in Wantagh.

The community forum being hosted by the  (WSHA) and Wantagh Civic Association is scheduled for July 12 at 7 p.m. in the Auditorium and will be attended by Aqua officials.

Aqua is proposing an over 150-foot water tower as well as the construction of two small buildings to house a new well and water treatment and purification equipment on DeMott Avenue in Wantagh just west of the Seaford-Oyster Bay Expressway. Aqua has said the projects are needed to address low water pressure in the area the company services including at fire hydrants.

A hearing before the Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals for both applications is for Aug. 10 in the Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion in Hempstead Village starting at 2 p.m.

Attending the July 12 forum will be Aqua New York president Matt Snyder along with an engineering consultant. Aqua spokesman Donald Miller said Snyder will give a presentation on why the tower is necessary to address "the chronic problem of low water pressure” in southeast Nassau County and other benefits the structure could provide to local water supply. 

“Our intent is to educate the community on the project so that they may come to a conclusion about the proposed tower based on its merit and benefit to all of Aqua's customers on the South Shore,” said Miller.

Leaders of the WSHA and Wantagh Civic Association have expressed concerns about how Aqua’s proposal would impact the look and feel of the area around DeMott Avenue as well as real estate values. Some residents have also mentioned being worried about about the potential of a wireless company attempting to install antennas on top of the water tower similar to what for the roof of the last year.

Aqua New York serves more than 152,000 residents in the New York City metropolitan area including the communities of Wantagh, Seaford, Merrick, Bellmore, Levittown, Massapequa Park, East Massapequa and parts of Glen Cove. It is a subsidiary of Aqua America, which posted $104 million net income in 2009. The Southeastern Nassau County Water Authority has held recent meetings discussing a  because of high rates.