Long Beach 'State of Our Drinking Water' forum held following E.coli scare
Originally published in
News 12
LONG BEACH - The state of Long Beach's drinking water was the subject of a public forum Wednesday night after E. coli was found in the water last month.
Many residents say they're still worried more than four weeks after E. coli was discovered in the drinking water in Long Beach.
As News 12 reported, the E. coli discovery prompted a boil water order on June 24. Nassau County officials lifted the order three days later, but many Long Beach residents want to know how the bacteria got into the water in the first place.
Sen. Todd Kaminsky helped organize the forum, called "State of Our Drinking Water." Residents asked state and local officials about how the water got contaminated, how it is being treated and what steps are being taken to prevent it from happening again.
Long Beach Public Works Commissioner John Mirando says the E. coli contamination detected at a private residence on Grand Boulevard last month was not due to a system-wide issue.
Residents say the E. coli scare highlighted other long-running problems with the city's water supply, including brown water.
Some residents also called on officials to replace the aging water lines. Kaminsky says he's committed to getting state funding to upgrade the infrastructure.