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Residents want takeover of Liberty Water in light of another main break on Baldwin/Oceanside border

News 12's Thema Ponton was on the South Shore with an update to Monday's early morning water main break and spoke with frustrated Liberty Water customers.

Cecilia Dowd and Thema Ponton

Sep 30, 2024, 9:30 AM

Updated 81 days ago

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Baldwin residents living in and around Winona Road were without water all day and into the night Monday.
According to Liberty Water, around 1 a.m. on Monday, a water main broke on the Baldwin/Oceanside border.
A spokesperson for Liberty Water said as of 9:39 p.m. Monday, some customers had their water restored.
News 12 was on the scene all day and night as crews worked on repairs.
Liberty Water says at least 115 customers were without water at one point.
The main that broke on Monday is the same one that also broke three months ago, according to a Liberty Water spokesperson.
And it happened on the same day as a public meeting at the Merrick Public Library about a possible public takeover of Liberty Water by the South Nassau Water Authority.
Ratepayers tell News 12 they want to see a public takeover of Liberty, believing it will help lower their rates and address what they say are chronic service issues.
As News 12 reported, the South Nassau Water Authority is looking into a possible takeover of Liberty Water.
A board member told ratepayers at Monday's meeting that they are in talks with Liberty, but were told specifics about a potential deal can't be released at this time.
Residents would get to vote on a takeover once those details are made public.
As for the water main break repair on Winona Road, a spokesperson for Liberty Water tells News 12, "We appreciate our customers’ patience and understanding at this time and want them to know that the main repair on those streets is a priority for Liberty. We could not do such a large project during the peak summer season and put plans in place to begin the replacement this fall. "