Rusty Water Concerns Board, Residents
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

Several residents who live in the eastern section of the Village of Garden City, specifically on or near Franklin Court, attended the January 11th Board of Trustees meeting to voice concern over rust in their cold water.

Marita Del Bello Derle, who lives on Sixth Place, held up a bottle with a sample of the rusty water residents find daily in their sinks, tubs and toilets. Some residents have also had to get their boilers cleaned. She thanked the Department of Public Works for their efforts so far in tracking the source of the problem, which began in October, but also presented a list of questions that have been unanswered.

Robert Mangan, Department of Public Works director, said workers have been repairing valves and adding hydrants to help flush the area. The problem began when the wellfield at Second Street and Hilton Avenue was shut down when a plume of Freon was detected. The water flow then had to be reversed in the southern portion of the Village, east of Hilton.

"Since the flow has been reversed...that has stirred everything up. The Franklin Court area is a bottleneck area. It is tough to get in there to flush," Mangan said.

According to a memo from Mangan to Village Administrator Robert L. Schoelle, Jr., the Franklin Court area is "one of the oldest in the Village and has unlined cast iron pipes which are severely encrusted and susceptible to the slightest disturbances to the system, such as the opening of hydrants."

Mangan said the situation is improving. The wellfield will remain closed until the Nassau County Department of Health tests the cooling system wells for Freon to locate the source.

"The Village, among other things, has a very high priority of being able to deliver safe, clean water to its residents," said Deputy Mayor Peter Bee. He said the Board looks forward to receiving weekly staff updates on the problem.