FAQs • Smithtown, NY • CivicEngage

Sometimes I get rust in my water. Why?: It's really not rust that can sometimes show up in some customers' water; it's iron. Iron is a naturally occurring element in some areas, particularly along Long Island's South Shore. In its natural state, you can't see iron in water. However, as the water meets with air and mixes with chlorine, you can see it. It's not harmful, but it doesn't look very appealing. Some of the iron settles in our water mains and can be disturbed when fire hydrants are opened. This will sometimes result in iron in your tap water.

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Water District

1. Do we have hard or soft water?: The Smithtown & St James Water Districts have soft water.

2. How does your water stack up against bottled water?: Our water meets very stringent water quality standards. Not only do we test for chemicals that the federal and state government require - we test for much more. Standards for bottled water are far less stringent than the standards we meet. In studies done by independent organizations, some bottled water was not all that it had claimed to be. In fact, much of it comes from municipal water systems. Bottled water also creates a tremendous amount of plastic that must be dealt with. Then there is the issue of price. We will deliver 1,000 gallons of water to your sink for about the price of a gallon of bottled water.

3. How many of my tax dollars go to the Water District?: None, all of the money we need to operate comes from the sale of water.

4. How much does it cost to set up an account?: There’s a $20 charge to set up an account.

5. Is there a charge to have my meter removed?: There’s a $25 charge to have your meter removed.

6. Sometimes I get rust in my water. Why?: It's really not rust that can sometimes show up in some customers' water; it's iron. Iron is a naturally occurring element in some areas, particularly along Long Island's South Shore. In its natural state, you can't see iron in water. However, as the water meets with air and mixes with chlorine, you can see it. It's not harmful, but it doesn't look very appealing. Some of the iron settles in our water mains and can be disturbed when fire hydrants are opened. This will sometimes result in iron in your tap water.

7. What is added to my water?: The Suffolk County Water Authority treats your water with very small amounts of chlorine. Chlorine kills any germs or bacteria that might be present in the water mains as the water is delivered to you. The water as it comes from the ground is free of harmful bacteria. New York State requires chlorine to be added to the water. In addition, lime is also added to the water. The water pumped from the aquifers is slightly acidic, which can damage the pipes in your home over a long period of time. Lime makes the water less acidic, which protects the pipes in your home from corrosion.

8. Where does my water come from?: The Smithtown & St James Water Districts purchase their water at a wholesale rate from the Suffolk County Water Authority.