The residents of Merrick and Bellmore are about to suffer a new 37% increase on their water bills due to a pending request from Liberty Utilities and local government inaction. At a time when Long Island’s cost of living, including utility rates, is at an all-time high, residents should not be forced to absorb another massive rate hike for a basic necessity. Sadly, our local government has remained, and continues to remain, silent on this issue. It is time for residents to speak up. 

Since 2022, over 100,000 Town of Hempstead residents have paid Liberty Utilities, a private, for-profit company, for basic water services. Around the same time Liberty Utilities took control of our water, New York State established the South Nassau Water Authority (SNWA), a public-benefit corporation created to take over all water infrastructure and servicing from Liberty Utilities within the Town of Hempstead. Given the rising costs on Long Island, the SNWA is vital because, once the acquisition is complete, residents will see a significant decrease in their water bills. This is because the SNWA, as a public entity, is exempt from real estate and special franchise taxes, and does not operate to generate a corporate profit. 

There is an urgent need to expedite this acquisition because our rates have climbed aggressively in the short time Liberty Utilities has controlled our water. First, Liberty secured annual increases of 13% to 17% between 2024 and 2026. Now, it is seeking an additional 37% increase for Merrick and Bellmore residents. If approved, this means that in the few short years since Liberty took control, our community's water bills will have nearly doubled.

While Liberty Utilities continues to drive up our rates, the South Nassau Water Authority has made no real progress in its mission to assume control of our community's water infrastructure. Despite existing for nearly five years, the SNWA has provided no expected deadline to finalize the acquisition. There is not even a signed purchase contract in place. In fact, the SNWA has not even started negotiating the cost to acquire Liberty’s water infrastructure. This delayed progress only helps Liberty’s guaranteed profits and hurts our residents’ wallets. 

The Republican-controlled Town of Hempstead and Nassau County Legislature share the blame for this lack of progress. Both bodies appoint SNWA board members who are responsible for executing the acquisition. Yet, nearly five years after the SNWA’s creation in November 2021, a takeover remains far out of reach while residents continue to suffer soaring water costs. It is noteworthy that neither the Town of Hempstead nor the Nassau County Legislature has publicly pressured the SNWA to expedite the transition or changed the SNWA’s Board of Directors for their inaction. This is unacceptable.

No Town of Hempstead resident who pays Liberty Utilities for water should accept this status quo, which is continuing to pay rising costs to Liberty Utilities when a state-created public authority sits idle. Meanwhile, the Town of Hempstead under John Ferretti and the Nassau County Legislature under Bruce Blakeman appear content to continue the status quo. We must break this stalemate by refusing to let our leaders hide in silence. The financial need of our residents must take priority over relationships with the appointed SNWA board. We cannot afford to wait another five years while a stalled board fails to act and our water bills double yet again. Inaction is only an option for our government if we remain quiet. It is time for our community to show up, speak out, and unite behind a single message to our elected officials: "Deliver the public water system we were promised years ago."