Nassau County health officials warned a large swath of county residents to conserve drinking water after Hurricane Sandy caused a serious Bay Park Sewage Treatment failure.
Residents south of the Long Island Expressway from the Queens border to the Meadowbook State Parkway are included in the order to conserve drinking water, with the exception of Cedarhurst and Lawrence. New York State and county officials are performing emergency repairs to the troubled sewage plant on Reynolds Channel.
“At this time, the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant is not operational and therefore cannot treat sewerage,” Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said in a statement Tuesday night. Long Beach and Mill Neck residents were previously warned not to use the tap water for any reson due to contamination.
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New York American Water also urged its customers to conserve water as many of the company’s facilities are operating on emergency generators.
“Voluntary water conservation reduces the demand on the water system while it operates on backup power,” said William Varley, president of New York American Water.
Residents are also asked to:
- Limit laundry and washer/dryer usage to full loads.
- Shorten shower time.
- Limit flushing toilets.
A ban has been placed on watering grass and washing cars.
The Nassau County Department of Health said residents must avoid contact with sewage, which may backup at manhole covers and basement drains.
From the health department:
- Avoid contact with sewage.
- Wear gloves and use soap and water for any required clean-up, followed by disinfecting the area with a 10% household bleach solution.
- Items which cannot be cleaned must be discarded.