History

FORMATION AND HISTORY

Before 1926, farmers and families in West Hempstead had hand pumps or drilled their own open wells on their properties to supply water for crops, animals and personal needs. While most were not in favor of the District’s formation, a group of forward-thinking residents had the foresight to see its long-term benefits. They decided to press forward and not allow any detractors to dampen their spirits.

For 18 months prior to the District’s formation, community meetings were held in the local schoolhouse. The issue at hand was the possibility of gaining a $300,000 bond issued (over $5.5 million today) as well as successfully providing the Town of Hempstead with a petition containing the signatures of property owners constituting at least 51% of the total assessed valuation of the territory involved.

To put it mildly, the task was arduous. The project was considered pure speculation by most residents but for those who thought otherwise, it was going to be an uphill battle to support a proposal that was going to require a tremendous amount of money at the time.

Additionally, the project was further dampened by competition. The privately owned Long Island Water Corporation was already serving Lakeview, Malverne, Lynbrook, Valley Stream and an area near the Hempstead border that was referred to as The Branch. Nevertheless, it did not prevent the committee members from remaining dedicated to the project. Open forums continued, and eventually all of the hard work finally paid off as a petition of 51 percent was finally tendered and approved by the Town of Hempstead Board on December 18, 1925.

The benefits were immediate. The Board of Fire Underwriters cut fire insurance rates in half (from a dollar to 50 cents) and builders quickly became more attracted to our community. Most of the inquiries posed by potential residents was: “Does the community have running water?” When the answer was yes, our rural area began a slow but steady conversion into a hamlet of modern conveniences.

While there were still a few die-hard dissenters who continued to use their kitchen pumps instead of hooking up to the new water mains, the builders continued to play a key role in initiating mass acceptance of the District’s benefits to new homeowners.

The District purchased a 27-acre watershed plot from Mr. Carman Lush off Birch Street, but the first water tower, which was designed with a “teapot style,” was built on the 7th Street plot in Garden city South along with a small station house.

The 300,000-gallon tank was supplied from two wells installed at the Birch Street facility. The wells were capable of producing 1,700 gallons per minute to be delivered through 19 miles of newly-constructed water mains. To complete the initial formation, an office building was built at Birch Street, which still stands today (with numerous additions).

In 1938, a 225-foot-high tower, which stood for over 80 years, was built at Birch Street. The third and fourth wells were dug in 1951; the fifth was completed in 1953; sixth in 1955; and seventh at the Garden City South facility in 1965. In 1979, the eighth well and laboratory research facility were completed.

In 2004, the “teapot” water tower on 7th Street was replaced with a 600,000-gallon tank after serving the community for over 70 years. In May 2013, West Hempstead water was voted as the “Best Tasting Water in Nassau County” in a contest conducted at the State University at Farmingdale. In 2017 shortly after the District’s 90th anniversary, plans were made to replace the 1938 main water tower, which at the time was the last of its kind in the county.

An $8.4 million bond for upgrades was approved by the Town in 2019 and our new tower rose on the West Hempstead horizon to meet the needs of our community. The 1,000,000-gallon tank is supported by a cylindrical concrete pedestal and a state-of-the-art composite steel bowl – the first of its kind on Long Island – which will benefit District residents for generations to come.

The District now serves over 32,000 residents within West Hempstead, Garden City South, a large portion of Franklin Square and maintains an infrastructure that includes 75 miles of water mains and 579 fire hydrants. Seven of our 11 wells are active and draw water from the Magothy Aquifer under Long Island. Our infrastructure also includes a 1,500,000-gallon ground storage tank, a booster station that can pump 6,000 gallons of water per minute, an emergency generator that can supply electricity for the entire plant and numerous service buildings – all located at our Birch Street facility. The District also installed an emergency generator at our 7^th Street location as well as a specialized facility that uses an Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) system to eliminate contaminants that cannot be removed using conventional treatment methods.

Currently, the District is undergoing a comprehensive electric power resiliency project to ensure continuation of service in case of hurricanes and other natural disasters. Since the District’s inception, we have always maintained a dedicated level of preparedness to provide clean, potable water in case of emergencies.

The Board of Commissioners would like to thank former Superintendent Robert P. York, as well as Lesley McAvoy of the West Hempstead Historical Society, for their contributions to this report.