Greenlawn, Westbury water districts plan for millions of dollars' worth of upgrades

A $3.2 million federal grant will go toward funding a system to help remove toxic chemicals from two wells in the Greenlawn Water District, while North Hempstead officials plan to bond $43 million for improvements in the Westbury Water District. 

In Greenlawn, the money will go toward the installation of equipment aimed at removing PFAS, PFOS and other volatile organic compounds from Well Nos. 10 and 15 on Manor Road.

Greenlawn district officials are set to begin the remediation project, estimated to cost $6.4 million, next month, said John Clark, a district commissioner. The project is expected to take a year to complete.

In North Hempstead, the town board on Tuesday is set to vote on bonding for nearly $43.5 million in upgrades to treat contamination. The town also would spend close to $17 million in grant funding on the expense. The funding also would cover water main and meter replacements.

The work was first approved by the North Hempstead board in June 2020, but costs have increased in the nearly six years since.

Clark said the Greenlawn district applied for the grant more than a year ago “to stay ahead” of any issues regarding safe drinking water standards. He said the district has 14 wells, all of which are below the maximum contaminant levels, or MCLs, set by the state and federal government. He said when the levels reach about 50% of the allowable level, the district starts looking for funding sources for remediation.

“We are very detailed-oriented about the performance of the wells, what the MCLs read when we do our testing, and we compare that to the MCLs established by the state and federal government,” he said. 

He said four district wells have been remediated. The projects were paid for through state and federal grants, bonding and from about $2.4 million in legal settlements from lawsuits filed against some of the manufacturers of the contaminants, Clark said.

Greenlawn was among three districts that filed a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of 1,4-dioxane, a likely carcinogen, Newsday previously reported. The state set a maximum allowable level of 1 part per billion of 1,4-dioxane in drinking water in 2020. 

Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced $43 million would be split among communities across the state to fund water infrastructure projects. The Greenlawn Water District was the only Long Island agency listed in the announcement.

“This funding means communities don’t have to choose between clean water and affordable rates,” Hochul said in a news release accompanying that announcement. 

The Greenlawn Water District has about 12,500 customers, with 95% of those being residential. The average customer pays about $340 a year plus an $80-per-year surcharge.

The Westbury Water District serves 6,000 properties, both residential and commercial, in a 5-square-mile area within Westbury Village, according to the district's website.

Newsday’s Joshua Needelman contributed to this story.

By Deborah S. Morris

deborah.morris@newsday.comdsvmorris

Deborah Morris is a native Long Islander and covers the town of Huntington.