The Suffolk County Water Authority and the Town of Islip this week unveiled the result of a unique collaboration aimed at reducing the waste of plastic water bottles and raising public awareness about the safe and constantly tested public water supply.
On Wednesday, September 6, SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey W. Szabo and Town of Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter posed for photos at the brand new reusable water bottle refilling station—commonly known as a "hydration station"—located on the first floor of Islip Town Hall. Under the arrangement, SCWA paid for the station, with installation, maintenance and electricity provided by the town.
"I’m proud to partner with Supervisor Carpenter on this initiative, which demonstrates our mutual commitment to sustainability and improves public awareness of the quality of the drinking water we provide," Szabo said. "SCWA maintains internal standards for water quality that are more rigorous than standards set by state and federal regulators and we also conduct drinking water tests on nearly 250 more contaminants than required by law."
"We are so thankful to the Suffolk County Water Authority for partnering with the Town of Islip and our employees," Supervisor Carpenter said. "We encourage and promote sustainability within the Town of Islip, and hope that we can lead by example."
SCWA also provided the town with 25 reusable, stainless steel water bottles to kick start the initiative.
The Suffolk County Water Authority is an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the authority of the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. Serving approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents, the Authority operates without taxing power on a not-for-profit basis.