The South Farmingdale Water District (SFWD) recently responded in rapid time to a major water main break that occurred between Merrits Road and Beach Street on Hempstead Turnpike in South Farmingdale. Reacting within just minutes of notification at approximately 10 a.m., crews arrived at the scene and quickly worked in conjunction with the Nassau County Police Department in shutting down a one-eighth-of-a-mile stretch of Hempstead Turnpike, diverting traffic around the construction zone for the protection of pedestrians and motorists. SFWD crews then began removing the broken main and replaced it with a new one, completing the project by late afternoon.
“SFWD takes great pride in swiftly answering to emergency situations with the proper equipment and work crews,” commented the South Farmingdale Water District Board of Commissioners. “Our staff was very aware of how busy a stretch of highway Hempstead Turnpike can become on a Saturday. Also realizing the potential inconvenience this could cause to retailers and motorists during the summer, our priority was to immediately focus our attention on the water main break, shut down the water going into that main, and quickly tend to the emergency at hand to ensure it could be repaired as expeditiously as possible.”
As a result of SFWD’s timely response and service, half of Hempstead Turnpike was reopened to traffic in both directions at approximately 1:30 p.m. Police later reopened the remaining parts of the highway by late afternoon.
Local commercial accounts experienced minimal interruption of water service. Additionally, SFWD was able to maintain proper water flow for fire prevention. This can be attributed to the District’s proactive redundancy plan and backup within the system. Lastly, residents within the neighborhood did not experience any water pressure changes resulting from the water main break.
Since 1931, the SFWD has been providing quality drinking water that exceeds federal, state and local standards to the communities it serves, which include South Farmingdale, North Massapequa and parts of Bethpage, Seaford and Massapequa Park. For more information call 516-249-3330, or visit www.sfwater.com.
—Submitted by the
South Farmingdale Water District
