Join the Shelter Island Association for a Zoom talk about the Town’s “Ground and Surface Water Management Plan” on Monday, March 15 at 5:30 PM. Town Councilman Mike Bebon, who also chairs the Water Advisory Committee, is the guest speaker.
Send an email to webmaster@shelterislandassociation.org to obtain login details. The talk is the first in a planned series of SIA educational talks on topics of Town-wide interest.
The plan, which Bebon presented to the Town Board in February 2020, “presents the current status of Shelter Island’s aquifer, the threats to it as a drinking water source for the Island in the short and long-term, and the impacts on surface waters contained within and adjacent to the Island,” the introduction says.
The SIA meeting is part of an on-going stakeholder engagement process that seeks to educate and inform the public of Shelter Island’s single aquifer, the community’s sole groundwater resource. At first glance, the aquifer appears to have abundant capacity but a closer look reveals seasonal and regional variations that impact the quantity and quality of water available to residents who rely largely on private wells.
The plan outlines four key outcomes to drive decision-making relating to the Town’s ground and surface water management:
- All Shelter Island residents have ready access to drinking water that meets all applicable local, state and federal standards
- All wastewater effluent on Shelter Island discharged into the aquifer or surface waters will be at a maximum of 19mg/L
- As Shelter Island’s sole groundwater aquifer, the Upper Glacial aquifer’s quality and quantity will continue to support the drinking water needs of residents without the need for “off-island” water
- Surface waters surrounding Shelter Island will not be negatively impacted by human activity on Shelter Island
Bebon and the WAC have been working through recommended actions outlined in the plan, creating timelines of what should be done within the first five years, the first 10 years, and beyond to achieve the Town’s management goals.
You can read the plan on the Town website.
The Shelter Island Association was formed in 1967 to create a place where individual residents and neighborhood associations could exchange ideas and formulate recommendations about Town-wide issues. Learn more about SIA on its website, www.shelterislandassociation.org.
Note: We updated this post to correct the time to 5:30 PM.
