Hicksville building new treatment system to remove PFAS from water supply - Newsday

Hicksville building new treatment system to remove PFAS from water supply - Newsday
Long Island Environment

Hicksville building new treatment system to remove PFAS from water supply
PFAS, chemicals that linger in the body, are linked to health issues such as cancer and various diseases. A federal grant will help Hicksville treat its water supply to remove the chemicals. Credit: Getty Images/Justin Sullivan

Hazardous “forever chemicals” linked to cancers, developmental damage and other health problems will be removed from Hicksville's water supply, federal, state and local officials said Monday as they broke ground on a new $9 million treatment system.

The project, one of several ongoing or expected to start in the coming months across Long Island, is funded, in part, by $5 million in grants from the Biden administration's $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The remaining $4 million to complete the project, which will remove a host of potentially toxic chemicals from Hicksville Water District's Plant 6, will be borne by taxpayers, officials said.

Despite the federal investment, Hicksville's 48,000 ratepayers could still see their water bills jump by 25% to 50% as a result of a series of ongoing projects to remove thousands of synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAS, from the hamlet's wells.

“Our residents are not responsible for the contamination and should not bear the significant financial impact for wellhead treatment,” Hicksville Water District Chairman Karl Schweitzer said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The contaminants that are impacting 12 or 14 supply wells are a result of legacy industrial and commercial activities and remain what we call the 'sins of our past.'”

The district, Schweitzer said, has already spent $49 million for treatment measures at several wells in the hamlet and expects to invest more than $70 million in total to comply with new regulations on emergent contaminants.

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would require utilities to impose strict levels on PFAS, which are found in Long Island's groundwater and can be detected in the blood of almost every American. The move will reduce exposure for 100 million people nationwide, federal officials said.

Removing PFAS, a chemical commonly found in products ranging from nonstick cookware to cellphones and medical supplies, typically requires the construction of a costly advanced oxidation treatment system.

“We hope that there will be more funding coming because these projects are needed,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia. “Across the state … the money is needed and will be spent for these critical infrastructure projects.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove whose district includes Hicksville, said the goal of the new federal standards is to ensure the region's sole source aquifer is safe to drink — a challenge after years of industrial development that have allowed chemicals to leach into the groundwater.

“It's going to take a lot of money to try and improve these facilities,” Suozzi said. “And our job is to try and move beyond all these battles back and forth between Democrats and Republicans to work together to try and get that money back here on Long Island.”

In total, $2 million for the Hicksville project comes directly from the EPA while another $3 million tracks to a state grant, also funded by the landmark 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Hazardous “forever chemicals” linked to cancers, developmental damage and other health problems will be removed from Hicksville's water supply, federal, state and local officials said Monday as they broke ground on a new $9 million treatment system.

The project, one of several ongoing or expected to start in the coming months across Long Island, is funded, in part, by $5 million in grants from the Biden administration's $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The remaining $4 million to complete the project, which will remove a host of potentially toxic chemicals from Hicksville Water District's Plant 6, will be borne by taxpayers, officials said.

Despite the federal investment, Hicksville's 48,000 ratepayers could still see their water bills jump by 25% to 50% as a result of a series of ongoing projects to remove thousands of synthetic chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl, or PFAS, from the hamlet's wells.

“Our residents are not responsible for the contamination and should not bear the significant financial impact for wellhead treatment,” Hicksville Water District Chairman Karl Schweitzer said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The contaminants that are impacting 12 or 14 supply wells are a result of legacy industrial and commercial activities and remain what we call the 'sins of our past.'”

The district, Schweitzer said, has already spent $49 million for treatment measures at several wells in the hamlet and expects to invest more than $70 million in total to comply with new regulations on emergent contaminants.

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would require utilities to impose strict levels on PFAS, which are found in Long Island's groundwater and can be detected in the blood of almost every American. The move will reduce exposure for 100 million people nationwide, federal officials said.

Removing PFAS, a chemical commonly found in products ranging from nonstick cookware to cellphones and medical supplies, typically requires the construction of a costly advanced oxidation treatment system.

“We hope that there will be more funding coming because these projects are needed,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia. “Across the state … the money is needed and will be spent for these critical infrastructure projects.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Glen Cove whose district includes Hicksville, said the goal of the new federal standards is to ensure the region's sole source aquifer is safe to drink — a challenge after years of industrial development that have allowed chemicals to leach into the groundwater.

“It's going to take a lot of money to try and improve these facilities,” Suozzi said. “And our job is to try and move beyond all these battles back and forth between Democrats and Republicans to work together to try and get that money back here on Long Island.”

In total, $2 million for the Hicksville project comes directly from the EPA while another $3 million tracks to a state grant, also funded by the landmark 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

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