MINEOLA, NY—Nassau County Executive Laura Curran was joined earlier this week by Eric Gernath, CEO of SUEZ North America, to announce a project at the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant in Wantagh that will conserve up to 300,000,000 of fresh water per year by using treated water for industrial use within the plant.
“Water is the world’s most important natural resource and we must do everything we can to conserve every drop,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. “Through our partnership with SUEZ, we are taking a big step toward that goal.”
SUEZ operates and manages Nassau County’s wastewater system, which is the largest public-private partnership for water and wastewater services in the United States. The project, funded entirely by SUEZ, is expected to cost approximately $1.1 million and be completed by January 2019.
“We are excited at the prospect of bringing a sustainable solution that will bring tremendous environmental benefits to the Nassau County community,” said Eric Gernath, CEO of SUEZ North America. “We are very proud of our partnership with Nassau County and look forward to more exciting projects in the future.”
By reusing treated plant effluent, the Cedar Creek plant will preserve approximately 315,000,000 gallons of groundwater each year. The plant currently uses about 600 gallons of groundwater per minute for non-potable uses, such as process cooling water and washing down equipment and tanks. The proposed plant instead will take water from the screened plant effluent system and treat it for solids removal and for high-level, multiple-barrier disinfection using chlorination and ultraviolet (UV) disinfection.
SUEZ began operating and maintaining the Nassau County Sewer System under a public-private partnership in January 2015.
“This has been a productive public/private partnership for the people of Nassau County and especially the environment,” said Curran. “This is a great project that will conserve our drinking water.”
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