New Web-Based Annual Drinking Water Quality Report; Will Save Tens of Thousands of Dollars per Year
(Long Island, NY) The Suffolk County Water Authority this week unveiled a new, primarily electronic-based version of its annual drinking water quality report that will save tens of thousands of dollars per year, be more accessible than the previous paper report and be more environmentally-friendly. The electronic report is directly accessible at www.scwa.com/dwqr.
SCWA Chairman James F. Gaughran last fall spoke at a public meeting held by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. held to gather testimony on making drinking water quality reports primarily available via the internet, rather than in paper form. Noting the potential for huge cost savings for SCWA, Gaughran spoke also of his interest in saving tons of paper and making it far easier for Suffolk residents to find information about the quality of drinking water in their community. The new electronic-based report allows residents to go directly to that information with one click, as opposed to having to search through a lengthy paper report.
“This year, we paid $84,348 to print and mail the report, which was delivered as a supplement included within a free newspaper delivered to Suffolk residents,” Gaughran said in testimony to EPA representatives, speaking of the year 2012. “Should we be permitted to distribute the report electronically, that money can be spent on rate stabilization, infrastructure improvements and other important projects.”
Speaking of the improved accessibility the electronic report provides, Gaughran added that “as a company that maintains internal standards for testing that can be even tougher than state and federal regulations, we want our customers to be able to easily locate information about the quality of their water.”
Earlier this year, both the EPA and the New York State Department of Health permitted water suppliers to move ahead with electronic drinking water quality reports—provided that water
suppliers took considerable steps to make residents aware of the change; made the new reports available through a direct URL; and continued to maintain paper copies of the report for those who request one. With the change to an electronic report, SCWA placed the URL for the electronic report in all customer bills in the months leading up to the unveiling of the report and also alerted the public to the change via an advertising campaign on multiple stations covering all of Suffolk County. And though a copy of the new report can be printed from a home computer, SCWA will mail a printed report to customers upon request. Anyone interested in receiving a paper report should call (631) 698-9500.
After opening the direct URL, Suffolk residents have a choice of clicking to the complete, 38-page report, which offers voluminous information about a variety of water quality topics, or clicking directly to a page with information about water quality in their community.
“We applaud the forward-thinking of the EPA and NYS Department of Health in allowing this change,” said SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo. “It’s green, it’s enhances transparency and also will allow us to save a considerable amount of money every year that we can put toward other key initiatives.”
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.
