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Professionals weigh in on future water quality study

JULIE LANE PHOTO Irene Fisher of the United States Geological Survey told members of the Water Advisory Committee Monday night that new studies would provide information on water quality.
JULIE LANE PHOTO
Irene Fisher of the United States Geological Survey told members of the Water Advisory Committee Monday night that new studies would provide information on water quality.

In an effort to inform Islanders about the quality of their drinking water, it appears possible the Town Board will allocate as much as $46,000 in its next budget for United States Geological Survey experts to begin compiling data.

A 20 percent federal grant could offset the cost to local taxpayers.

This will not happen soon. Tests wouldn’t begin until 2016-17 and would continue over a three-year period.

Depending on what’s found, the study could expand or contract, USGS representatives Dr. Frederick Stumm, Irene Fisher and Ronald Busciolano told the Water Advisory Committee Monday night.

As for the money, Supervisor Jim Dougherty said he recognizes the need for comprehensive data on water quality and thinks the rest of the Town Board sees the need as well.

“I think we all recognize the priority, but it’s going to be a challenge” to come up with the money, he said.

In any case, it would be in the fall when the Town Board starts budgeting for 2016 that a full discussion of an allocation would take place.

Evidence of a wide concern among residents about the Island’s water quality is a survey conducted among members of the Shelter Island Heights Property Owners Association. Topping the list of concerns was seepage into the groundwater from aged septic systems affected the water they drank.

Assuming the Town Board goes forward with a contract with the USGS, new data would be cross referenced with information gathered in 1994 — the last time a comprehensive study of water quality was done. That would give a picture of changes that have occurred — and how rapid the changes took place — that could help guide remediation decisions, Mr. Busciolano said.

If there is increased salting of wells or presence of contaminants, it could help answer how much time the town has to take remedial actions.

WAC committee member Peter Grand asked the USGS representatives to be specific. Would it be 10 years? Forty years? Mr. Grand asked. He also expressed concern that some of the existing data has been under utilized. His aim is to be able to use the data to construct a model that would guide the committee in making recommendations to the Town Board.

The USGS team outlined techniques they would use to identify:
• Incidences of salt contamination in wells.
• Presence and nature of nutrients in water.
• Possible analysis of pharmaceuticals that could affect water quality.
• Presence or lack of intrusion from aged septic systems.

Dr. Stumm explained the technical aspects of how the USGS would gather and assess information, demonstrating the results of similar studies in communities, including Fire Island.

“We need to start small,” Ms. Fisher told the WAC. But depending on what is found initially, that data would direct where to test next and what elements to examine.

USGS doesn’t make recommendations, Ms. Fisher said. Its role is to provide the information the town needs to develop its own plan of remediation, if that’s what’s needed.

There’s already USGS data on pesticides for Shelter Island based on some testing done in 2006, Ms. Fisher said.
She predicted that about eight test wells would be examined for salt water intrusion over the course of the contract.

In other WAC actions Monday night, three new members were added to what is now a six-member committee, with Albert Dickson, BarbaraJean Ianfolla and Greg Toner taking their places on the committee.

Hoot Sherman has taken over chairing the meetings — “at least for now,”he said — since other members didn’t want the position, he added.