The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District continues to lead the way in preserving and protecting our environment, while still providing the best service we possibly can. We minimize waste and use recycled materials whenever and wherever possible, while constantly looking for ways to reduce our energy consumption and our carbon footprint.
The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District strives to follow four basic principals on saving our planet and helping our community.
RECYCLE – We recycle all the goods and materials used in our offices , as well as buy only recycled materials when available.
REDUCE – We buy 100% Recycled Copy Paper, which not only helps reduce waste, but saves trees. When it comes to lighting, we use energy-efficient LED bulbs and utilize motion sensing light switches that turn lights on only when someone is occupying a room and turn off when they leave.
REUSE – The District’s Food to Fuel program is an example of how we reuse a waste product from restaurants to produce electricity and heat for our facility. The grease is added to our three digesters to increase the production of methane, a byproduct of the treatment process. This additional methane gas is then used as fuel in our micro-turbine installation, producing 50% of our electricity and 100% of our heating requirements.
PRESERVE – It is our hope that our efforts can be an example for others to follow.
SOLAR PANELS
The District has also constructed a 13KW Solar Panel System that continually generates power for the treatment plant, utilizing energy from the sun. This system is virtually maintenance free, and allows the District to use renewable energy to get one step closer to its goal of being electrically independent.
MICROTURBINES
Along with assistance provided by the New York State Environmental Facility Corporation, the District has installed a 195kw micro-turbine facility. This facility, the only one of its kind on Long Island, utilizes waste gas (methane) that is created during the sewage treatment process to generate electricity and heat for the treatment process and buildings. The generation of electricity and heat makes this project a true Co-Generation facility producing 50% of our electricity and 100% of our heating needs. The District is proud of our forward thinking and the example that this facility sets for other wastewater treatment plants all over the country.
DISPOSAL OF MEDICATION (SHED THE MEDS)
Being the leading advocate for proper disposal of medications, we urge residents to come to our Shed the Meds events rather than dispose unwanted medicines in the garbage or by flushing down the toilet.
In addition to the event, during the year we offer pre-paid pharmaceutical mail-in kits to mail in any additional unwanted medications. See Shed the Meds page for details.
Recently, we involved students from the Green Defenders Club from William A. Shine Great Neck South High School in planting a native pollination garden at the facility while learning the importance of helping the declining Monarch Butterfly and Bee population.
Native pollination garden at the GNWPCD facility.
When it comes to office supplies the District goes that extra step to make sure that we find quality office supplies that are made from up to 100% recycled materials.
Just some of the various office supplies we use that are all made of recycled materials are:
- 100% Biodegradable Garbage Liners
- Eco-Products™ Compostable Cups
- Eco-Products™ Renewable Wooden Stir Sticks
- Marcal® 100% Recycled Bath Tissue
- Marcal® 100% Recycled Paper Towels
- Marcal® 100% Recycled Napkins
- B. Mason Brand 30% Recycled Copy Paper
- B. Mason Brand 100% Recycled Hanging Folders (Letter and Legal Sized)
- Various Variety of Recycled File Folders (Letter and Legal Sized)
- Ampad™ Recycled Writing Pads (Letter Sized)
- At-A-Glance® Various Recyclable Planners and Calendars
BATTERIES AND PRINTING
As you can imagine, a government installation such as the sewer treatment plant, can go through a lot of batteries and printing cartridges in a short amount of time. When people don’t recycle these, they wind up in landfills where the chemicals within them can leak into the soil or water supply.
PRINTING CARTRIDGES
For printing, the District recycles its ink and toner cartridges . The empty cartridges are sent back to the particular company themselves as part of their own green programs that will have them recycled for use again.
BATTERY RECYCLING
The District recycles all of its alkaline batteries utilizing a battery recycling kit. We are secure in the knowledge that all of our used batteries are properly and environmentally disposed of, keeping them out of our landfills and groundwater.
The Great Neck Water Pollution Control District are proud to continue our efforts to keep our District “GREEN” and hope that others will join us in any way they can. It doesn’t take much to make a difference.
If you have any questions about the District’s Green Program, or any suggestions, or ideas on how we can do even more to help recycle, reduce, reuse and preserve, please don’t hesitate to contact us.