Dix Hills, Plainview water districts unveil facility upgrades

Officials held ceremonies in two separate Long Island water districts on the same morning last week — at one, to unveil a multimillion-dollar renovation of one of its facilities, and at the other, to show off what officials call a state-of-the-art treatment center.

Huntington town officials on Thursday cut the ribbon on the renovated Plant No. 3 in the Dix Hills Water District. Meanwhile, Plainview Water District officials introduced an upgraded treatment facility that they touted as the first of its kind on the Island. 

The improvements come as water districts work to meet tougher drinking water standards set by federal and state regulators. 

In 2020, New York State set a limit of 10 parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA, two of the most common forever chemicals, Newsday previously reported. Then in 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under President Joe Biden set a maximum contaminant level at 4 parts per trillion for each of those compounds, the lowest levels the agency said are feasible for effective implementation.

The new standard was to go into effect in 2029, but in May, the Trump administration said it planned to push the deadline for compliance until 2031, Newsday previously reported. 

Plant No. 3 upgrades in Dix Hills

In Dix Hills, Huntington Town budgeted $5.7 million to renovate Plant No. 3, which has three water supply wells that deliver 5.7 million gallons of water per day, Town Supervisor Ed Smyth said at the ribbon-cutting at the Carlls Straight Path site.

The original well houses at Plant No. 3 were built between 1962 and 1969. The last major upgrade to the facility was in 1986.

District officials shut down the three wells in September 2024 to start the renovation and then reopened them in May, ahead of summer, which is peak pumping season.

All well pumps were replaced, and premium-efficiency motors were installed to improve energy performance. Piping, electrical systems and other equipment also were replaced, Smyth said. Drainage infrastructure was upgraded, and a new backup emergency diesel generator was installed.

The three buildings housing the wells received new roofs, windows, doors and floors. 

Smyth, who is seeking reelection next month, said the facility is an example of his push to improve and maintain the town’s infrastructure. “This is what maintenance looks like,” he said.

The district has 11 facilities and 18 wells and serves 8,400 residential and commercial customers. Town board members serve as its administrators.

District Superintendent Dennis T. Kropp said that during the peak season, the district delivers 14 million gallons of water a day. In winter, the number drops to under 2 million gallons per day.

“The timeline was critical,” Kropp said, referring to starting the renovation last fall and working over the winter when demand is low. “So, getting Plant 3 back online before the pumping season was crucial. It was completed on time and came in a little under budget.”

He said the estimated cost was about $5.6 million but final expenses have not been tallied.

Last year, the district implemented a $120 surcharge on ratepayers to fund infrastructure upgrades and ongoing maintenance, Newsday previously reported.

New $16.4M system in Plainview

In the Plainview Water District, officials said the upgraded facility, on Southern Parkway in Plainview, integrates three advanced technologies — advanced oxidation process, granular activated carbon and a specialized ion-exchange process for nitrate and perchlorate.

The system, which cost $16.4 million, removes pollutants such as federally regulated nitrate to even lower levels than required by the Safe Drinking Water Act, officials said.

District officials also tout that although there is no federal standard for perchlorate, the district is removing it from its supply.

The district has seven facilities and provides drinking water to approximately 34,000 residents in Plainview and portions of Old Bethpage and Syosset.

“From the very beginning, the District set out to design one of the region’s most advanced water treatment systems and we are proud to see that vision brought to life,” Plainview Water District chairman Marc Laykind said in a prepared statement.