The Westchester Joint Water Works’ (WJWW) newly proposed location of the Water Treatment Facility is a danger to the water supply of over 9 million residents of Westchester County and New York City!  One accident and we will no longer be able to use this important reservoir.  The original location is a safer location and where the Westchester Joint Waterworks still owns and where they should build.  We need to protect the reservoir, the forest buffer near the reservoir, and stop the airport expansion of private planes that would result from a land swap.

This newly proposed facility site was always considered an Important Water Quality Buffer Area by former County government administrations; they repeatedly refused to allow any construction here for that reason.  The Department of Environmental Protection has written 2 strong letters of concern about any construction at this location, and particularly this construction.    The County government needs to take action immediately and make the  status of Water Quality Buffer Area a permanent one.  This designation will make it clear to the WJWW that the County will not be able to provide a land swap, so with this knowledge the WJWW can more quickly begin moving forward with building their Water Treatment Facility on the land they already have purchased for this purpose.  They already also have a completed Final Environmental Impact Statement for the location they own and would only need to update it if they still want the unnecessary 50% increase in size (they want to sell water to the airport).

In addition to your donation please ask your County Legislator and the County Executive (NYC folks please ask your representatives) to make this area a permanent Water Quality Buffer Area, and that the current mature Forest (44% native trees) is legally made into a permanent Green buffer Forest Conservation Area.  That would mean NO CONSTRUCTION HERE EVER.   This is already a designated Critical Environmental Area, and the forest buffer is also needed to protect local residents from the noise and vibration of planes taking off and landing.  The Westchester County Government needs to act now to protect our drinking water reservoir and our trees!  Additionally we are aware that the airport is historically for private users, and currently 84% of the airport use is private.  Government needs to stop trying to find ways to expand the airport for private plane users at the expense of the public.

The WJWW have 2 legal firms and have raised rate payer costs to cover millions of dollars to move forward with this, including over $125,000.00 just for PR alone.   In order to counteract this we need to upgrade our website (SaveOurWatersheds.org - This website also will invite other grass-root groups to list local Watershed issues from across the State ).  We also need to have a budget for public relations and community education about why watersheds are so important, and also why this area in particular needs to be protected as a Water Quality Buffer Area in perpetuity.  It will be used for other group approved expenses that the group encounters.  If there are any funds left over they will be donated to a worthy charity.