Port Washington Water Commissioner Peter Meyer has served the district since 2000 and is seeking another term amid a plethora of major projects that he said require the experience he has acquired during his tenure.
“There’s no time for me to get out,” Meyer said. “I got to finish what I started and that’s what I want to do.”
Meyer, the Board of Commissioner’s secretary, serves alongside Chairman David R. Brackett and Treasurer Mindy Germain.
Meyer, a Port Washington resident of about 50 years and owner of Meyer Mechanical Services, has served as one of Port’s water commissioners for 23 years. He said his business experience has informed him in his job as a water commissioner as well, making it right up his alley.
“I’m looking out for the water in Port Washington,” Meyer said. “I’m looking out for my family and yours.”
Gibbons, who is running in the race for Port’s water commissioner, questioned Meyer’s long tenure on the board and said he doesn’t know many people are still excited about their job after 23 years.
In response, Meyer said he is still having fun in the position and still experiences excitement after 23 years.
“I like doing what I do,” Meyer said. “I don’t need to do this, I like doing what I do and there’s a difference. I’m not doing it for anything else.”
In Meyer’s 23-year tenure on the board, he has helped to establish a new plant and built a majority of the wells at the new water treatment plant at Christopher Morley Park.
He said the water district is in the midst of a very exciting time with many projects going on currently, making the high workload at the moment rewarding.
“I can’t even turn away if I wanted to,” Meyer said. “So to let somebody new come into this, they would have to be starting all over from scratch.”
He said there are too many projects the water district is handling at the moment for a new water commissioner to come in and adjust to the position.
Meyer said these projects include building new treatment plants and updating facilities to meet new regulations – an approximately $75 million undertaking over the next five years.
He said he and the commissioners have also secured an $18 million grant to help fund the district’s new infrastructure work, providing relief to the taxpayers.
Meyer said the district is about halfway done with its construction at Christopher Morley Park, the major producer of water – providing about 60% of the district’s water through its three wells. He said the district hopes to have it back in commission by the beginning of spring.
He said the district also has plans to start a new project on Stonytown Road to dismantle and rebuild the water treatment plant located there.
Gibbons said an issue within the district is securing land to establish new wells in Port Washington, pushing for the district to buy more land from Nassau County. Meyer agreed that this is a challenge the district is facing and has been mediated through purchasing land from the county at Christopher Morley Park, but pointed out there isn’t any more land available.
“You need an acre of land to build a well on all the way around,” Meyer said. “You can’t find an acre of land almost anywhere.”
He said the district is mitigating this issue by building upwards upon already established water treatment plants.
“We’ve taken the land that we have, but here in Port Washington there is no more land to buy,” Meyer said. “We would love to go buy a piece…but there is nothing currently available and we look all the time.”
He said a focus of the district’s commissioners is water conservation as well as combatting saltwater intrusion.
“To me, it’s all about the quality of water,” Meyer said, expressing concerns about saltwater intrusion in the district’s water.
Meyer said he is devoted to ensuring Port receives the highest quality water and that it is accessible at all times, even during moments of crisis.
“I have ensured that our community’s water quality is safe, plentiful and delivered without interruption,” Meyer said. “Even during the Storm Sandy and everything else, we always had water…you have to take care of your community.”
He said he drinks the same water that he helps provide to his neighbors, which makes it an issue that is important to him personally as well.
“I drink the water here every day,” Meyer said. “I think it’s the most important precious resource we have.”
He said what makes him the best candidate in this election is the experience he has gained serving as commissioner for 23 years as well as his passion for water – including its conservation and quality.
“I am the best-qualified person to do it because I know what the rules and regulations are, and I know where we have to go forward to make sure that all our contaminants are taken care of, and all these plants that we have engineered already are going to be in working order and in time,” Meyer said. “By the time [a new commissioner] even got acclimated, it would be time for them to run for re-election anyway.”
Residents of the district can vote from 12-9 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Polish American Cultural Association at 5 Pulaski Place in Port Washington. All of Port’s special district elections will be held there at the same time, including the Water District, Water Pollution Control District, Police District and Garbage District.
