Schweitzer to Lead District Throughout 2024
The Hicksville Water District (HWD) is proud to announce that Commissioner Karl Schweitzer has been elected to serve as District Chairman for 2024. Unanimously elected by fellow Commissioners William Schuckmann and Nicholas Brigandi, Schweitzer is currently serving his seventh term on the HWD Board of Commissioners and is set to lead the District throughout the next calendar year.
“To be chosen once again serve as Chairman by my fellow Commissioners is a true honor,” said Chairman Schweitzer. “It is a great privilege to serve the Hicksville community in such a crucial role and I am dedicated to using this opportunity to further our District’s efforts in protecting our precious water source. Preserving our environment while keeping costs down is very important to me, and I am looking forward to advancing our water treatment and distribution practices alongside Commissioners Schuckmann and Brigandi, Superintendent Paul Granger and our dedicated District staff.”
Having served in the role several times during his tenure as HWD Commissioner, Chairman Schweitzer has played a significant part in leading the HWD through some of the greatest challenges in its history. Alongside his fellow Commissioners, he has helped lead the District in rapidly addressing the threats posed by emerging contaminants in the District’s water in recent years. The HWD has been one of the most proactive water providers on Long Island in the pursuit of state-of-the-art treatment for 1,4-dioxane and PFAS, efforts which have been overwhelmingly successful. Numerous Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment systems have been installed at nine of the District’s wells, an achievement that cannot be touted by many of the District’s contemporaries, and Chairman Schweitzer has provided crucial oversight throughout the entire process. His financial acumen has placed the HWD in a better position to deal with the issues while keeping the District financially sound. In addition, his relentless pursuit for environmental justice, taking on those who brought upon these challenges in the past, will surely help the District manage its budget in the future.
His role at the HWD is not the only way in which Chairman Schweitzer has dedicated himself to serving his community. A lifelong Hicksville resident, he is third-generation firefighter and has been a member of the Hicksville Fire Department for over 40 years. He has also served as a committee member of the Old Courthouse Centennial Celebration and as co-chairman of the 350th anniversary celebration of the Robert Williams Purchase. He was also involved in the restoration of the Gregory Museum. To honor his dedication to his community, Chairman Schweitzer was named Citizen of the Year by the Hicksville Chamber of Commerce in 1998 and was honored by the Hicksville Community Council in 2006.
