Nassau, Suffolk save on water treatment

Nassau and Suffolk counties expect to save more than $1 million this year from a joint purchasing program for chemicals for wastewater treatment, county officials said.

Other members of the Long Island Intergovernmental Purchasing Council, including the Town of Oyster Bay, expect to save thousands of dollars.

"Cooperation among the various governmental entities is key to reining in spending and holding the line on taxes," Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said last week.

The Purchasing Council puts out bids based on the cumulative usage of common goods and services. Municipalities can buy off these bids. In this case, it issued a chemical bid that included sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide.

Nassau uses about 4 million gallons of the first chemical at its Bay Park and Cedar Creek sewage treatment plants and about 30,000 gallons a year in swimming pools at five county parks. In Suffolk, the chemicals are used for water purification primarily at sewage treatment plants in Selden, Holbrook and Medford.

Nassau expects to save nearly $601,000 and Suffolk, $526,830, through the arrangement. "The fact that one joint purchasing agreement can save Long Island taxpayers more than $1 million speaks to the need to work harder to find efficiencies," said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

Oyster Bay, which expects to save $25,000, will use 55,000 gallons of sodium hypochlorite at one of its beaches and in five town pools.

The Oyster Bay and South Farmingdale water districts, the Village of Sands Point and the City of Glen Cove use a total of about 260,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide a year, officials said.