A bi-county commission that coordinates a regional approach to groundwater management has been reauthorized by the Nassau and Suffolk legislatures for another five years. Their unanimous votes will enable the Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection (LICAP) to continue its groundbreaking work as the sole island-wide organization dedicated to drinking water quality and quantity.
The commission was established in 2013 to provide a regional perspective on the preservation and protection of Long Island’s aquifer. The membership consists of water providers, regulators, elected officials, and environmental advocates. Since its creation, LICAP has made major strides in fostering inter-county cooperation to safeguard the island’s sole source of fresh water.
“LICAP has been tremendously successful in fulfilling its goals, and we are going to be just as ambitious in this next term,” said LICAP Chairman Jason Belle. “It is invigorating to see experts and advocates from across Long Island come together for the shared goal of protecting our aquifer.”
"We, in the Suffolk County Legislature, are happy to do our part, along with our friends in Nassau County, to fully fund and reauthorize LICAP,” said Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey. “This bi-county organization is crucial to the preservation and protection of our sole source aquifer that provides 100% of our drinking water to Long Islanders. LICAP's work provides all of us with vital information to better manage L.I.'s groundwater now and into the future."
“We are pleased to once again be partnering with Suffolk County to reauthorize the Long Island Commission for Aquifer Protection and display our joint commitment to protecting Long Island’s sole source aquifer,” said Nassau County Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello.
Suffolk County Water Authority Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Szabo was the principal architect for the creation of LICAP in 2013 and currently serves as its vice chairman. He praised the move by the legislatures, stating, “On behalf of the LICAP membership, I want to thank Presiding Officers McCaffrey and Nicolello for their passionate support for LICAP’s reauthorization. The aquifer doesn’t follow county lines, so we need to think regionally on issues of water quality and quantity. For a decade, LICAP has been the vehicle for that effort, and I believe it will continue to make major contributions.”
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Featured within the GRMP is the first-ever assessment of private wells on Long Island. This comprehensive analysis gave health regulators and drinking water providers insights into the number and location of homes that are still using private wells for drinking water. These wells are vulnerable to contamination from harmful chemical compounds and are a public health risk.
LICAP continues to develop partnerships with organizations to leverage its resources for greater success. A partnership with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) established the sentinel monitoring program to develop advanced monitoring techniques for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), nitrogen, and pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, LICAP's strategic partnership with the Long Island Nitrogen Action Plan (LINAP) has advanced both organizations' mutual goal of addressing the critical issue of nitrogen pollution. LICAP also expanded the scope of the historic, GIS-based water quality mapping and database known as WaterTraq to include drinking water quality/test results information from all Long Island’s providers, including both treated and raw water results.
In the next five years, LICAP intends to complete a 2040 Water Resources and Infrastructure Plan. The plan will examine the future of drinking water on Long Island and the policy structure needed to support long-term success. In addition, LICAP will continue to issue its annual State of the Aquifer report. Finally, LICAP is contracted with Cornell Cooperative Extension to analyze aerial photography to search for potential problem areas for groundwater contamination. Data provided by the project can help drinking water providers cite public supply wells and health regulators find areas of concern around the island. That project is expected to be completed in 2024.