Bill Ellinger: Representing Bethpage Water District for 38 Years: 
When Bill Ellinger stepped down from his position as Bethpage Water Commissioner after 38 years, his send off party was attended by dozens of friends, relatives and associates. That was no surprise, given Bill’s gregarious and spontaneous personality. What was surprisingly was the list of public service achievements where Bill so often led the charge, including numerous well and infrastructure improvements, and the untold hours of negotiations to secure firm financial commitments from Grumman Corporation and the U.S. Navy.
Bill’s service to the Bethpage community began in December 1979. Commissioners Sal J. Greco and Gerald Donlon passed a resolution to appoint Bill provisionally as Commissioner until the next election. The resolution was presented to the Town of Oyster Bay Board and approved on Dec. 20, 1979. I
Bill Ellinger was a strong choice for Commissioner. With a background in maintenance for school districts (Bethpage, Bellmore and Roslyn), Bill understood the landscape and quickly began reshaping it, working with his fellow commissioners to add air stripper towers to remove VOCs, deepening wells to improve water quality, and overseeing the construction of a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) water filtration plant at Adams Avenue. In addition to his position as Commissioner, Bill served as Chairman of Long Island Water Conference, where he worked on behalf of residents of both Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Up Close and Personal:
Bill served as a member of Bethpage Fire Department when he was drafted into the US Army during the Korean War in 1950. When he returned he joined the fire department again, eventually earning the rank of Honorary Deputy Chief.
In 1952, Bill married his childhood sweetheart Barbara and they raised six children together: Glenn, Stephen, Diane, William, Marion and Frank.
Thank You Bill:
The entire staff of the Bethpage Water District along with Superintendent Michael Boufis, and Commissioners John R. Sullivan, John F. Coumatos and Teri M. Black, wish Bill good luck and good health in his retirement. His knowledge, guidance and expertise will be sorely missed at the Bethpage Water District.