Letters

Featured Letter: Clean water takes priority

I am increasingly concerned about the Suffolk County legislators “borrowing” funds from drinking water protection funds that are supposed to be used to make sure our drinking water is safe from contamination, toxins, etc.  Water sampling is down 15 percent due to staffing shortages of testers.

In Suffolk, the health department is one of two agencies responsible for safeguarding most drinking water. The Suffolk County Water Authority is the other agency responsible.

How can our legislators allow the county to use clean water funds for paying off other shortages in the budget when our drinking water is so vital to our health and well-being? Once the groundwater is contaminated, it will be impossible to filter the toxins out to a safe level.

The time to act is now, not after the aquifer is beyond saving. This means no more raiding of water protection funds, money raised through a sales tax.

It also means Suffolk County needs to pay back what it “borrowed,” ASAP.

We need to see a list before Election Day of the Suffolk County legislators who voted to raid the clean water funds.

Cecilia Loucka, Southold