The importance of the quality and safety of the water we drink cannot be understated. Here on Long Island, the water that flows from each and every faucet in our homes comes solely from underground aquifers stored right beneath our feet. This makes protecting our aquifers here on Long Island critical for our community's well-being. The recently created organization Science Advocacy Long Island (SALI) recently hosted a public forum on November 3rd on ensuring water quality on LI, bringing together both local policy makers and scientists.



This non-partisan forum was hosted at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University and included NY Assemblyman Steve Englebright and Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Edward P. Romaine. Both reflected on how current and past policy affects our water quality. Supervisor Romaine highlighted the Long Island 208 Study on groundwater that detailed connections between LI's land use, drinking water quality, and surface water quality, and how 40 years later, we still have not implemented all the recommendations of that study. He then discussed how Hurricane Sandy brought attention to marsh loss and nitrogen pollution in our water. Relief funds from Sandy helped fund the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology at Stony Brook University. Ronald Busciolano, a Supervisory Hydrologist at the Coram Program Office of the U.S. Geological Survey New York Water Science Center updated the audience on the status of Long Island hydrological conditions and the USGS Sustainability Project. For the past few years, Long Island has been experiencing a drought, evidenced by the decreasing ground water levels, which is mainly due to lack of precipitation. Simply put, we need rain to replenish our aquifers. While we may not be able to make it rain, we can prevent the water we do have from being contaminated. The materials on our land will eventually enter our groundwater, which is also our drinking water. A major pollutant of our water is nitrogen, and 50-75% of that contamination comes from LI households.