Some Medford, Bellport homes to get public water connections after PFAS discovery

Up to 20 Medford and Bellport homes, in a neighborhood where toxic "forever chemicals" were discovered in private water wells, will be connected to public water systems later this year, officials said.

Suffolk County Water Authority and the county struck a deal to extend water mains  4,660 feet into the community after PFAS, a group of carcinogenic chemicals, was found in water sampling four years ago, officials said Monday in a news release.

The $2.1 million project is completely funded by a state grant and COVID-19 relief funds, the water authority said.

Without the project, "connecting to the public water supply would have cost property owners tens of thousands of dollars," water authority officials said.

Possible sources of PFAS contamination were not identified in the news release. Water authority spokesman Daniel Dubois referred questions on that topic to the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

Michael Martino, a county spokesman, did not respond to messages seeking comment from the health department.

Brookhaven Supervisor Dan Panico said PFAS in the Bellport-Medford neighborhood are not related to the town landfill. He noted in a phone interview the neighborhood is about 3 miles northwest of the landfill, adding a toxic plume linked to the dump lies southeast of the landfill.

State officials last year ordered Brookhaven to draft a remediation plan for the landfill plume after a study confirmed the presence of PFAS. Town officials submitted a proposed remediation plan on May 1.

Officials believe PFAS contamination in Medford and Bellport could be linked to nearby industrial sites, Panico said. 

The presence of PFAS in drinking water supplies, farm products and yard-waste compost has unnerved residents in areas across Long Island where contamination has been discovered in recent years. Growing awareness of PFAS has prompted efforts to expand public water systems or build treatment plants to remove the substances from drinking water supplies. 

PFAS were used for decades in the manufacture of clothes, carpets, packaging and cookware. Their use is restricted as companies phase them out of the manufacturing process.

Forever chemicals like PFAS accumulate gradually in the body and are associated with reduced immunity, developmental delays in children and a number of cancers.

In Bellport and Medford, Suffolk health department tests of private wells in 2022 found "significant levels" of PFAS, the water authority said.

“We identified a public health issue with PFAS in these private wells and took action,” County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a statement included in the water authority  news release.

Dubois said 20 houses between Montauk Highway and Head of the Neck Road are eligible for public water hookups. Those homes have the option to connect to public water, but it is not required, he said.

Dubois said in a phone interview 11 homeowners have opted to switch from private wells to public water. Hookup costs will be covered by the county, after which those homeowners will be charged the same monthly fees as other customers, he said.

Funding for the project included a $960,000 grant from the state, supplemented with about $1.1 million in county funds derived from the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal pandemic recovery program.

The state and county funding covers installation of the water main and service lines between the main and houses, the water authority said.

“By utilizing ARPA funds to cover the gap left after the state grant, we ensured these 20 households will have access to clean drinking water without bearing a financial burden,” Romaine said.

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.