The Hicksville Water District (HWD) has been selected as the recipient of a $162,330 grant from Governor Andrew Cuomo as part of his $2.5 billion Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) in partnership with the Stony Brook Center for Clean Water Technology. This grant will support the costs associated with beginning the piloting process, from implementation of the necessary infrastructure to treat unregulated contaminants to the comprehensive testing associated with determining the pilot’s feasibility.
“The HWD is grateful to Governor Cuomo and Stony Brook for helping to support the vital treatment of these emerging contaminants,” said Karl Schweitzer, chairman of the Hicksville Water District Board of Commissioners. “The district would also like to extend its sincere thanks to our local state senator Elaine Phillips, who worked tirelessly with our district and her colleagues in state legislature to help ensure these funds would be available. This grant will provide critical backing to support the establishment of proven water treatment infrastructure and reduce the financial burden on local taxpayers.”
The Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 seeks to invest $2.5 billion in clean and drinking water projects and water quality protection across New York. It provides at least $1 billion for the New York State WIIA, which assists municipalities in funding water quality infrastructure. The awarded grant money from New York State and Stony Brook University will support the implementation of a pilot program for Advanced Oxidation Processing (AOP) and the necessary fees associated with determining this program’s feasibility, including an expansive docket of testing.
“I am pleased the HWD is the recipient for this pilot funding,” said New York State Senator Elaine Phillips. “With the growing number of emerging containments and with Long Island being dependent on a sole source underground water supply, WIIA funding is essential for treating and testing potential unregulated containments. The highest levels of 1,4-Dioxane have been found in HWD’s wells.”
In February of this year, HWD submitted its application to the Nassau County Department of Health to begin testing the effectiveness of AOP as a method to remove unregulated contaminants in drinking water. This submission was prompted through the discovery of an increased level of 1,4-Dioxane—an unregulated synthetic chemical—at Well 4-2. This well was immediately taken out of service by the district following its discovery—even though at no time did its level exceed the Maximum Contaminant Limit (MCL) for unregulated contaminants. This well has remained in a reserve status for more than a year since its discovery while the district researched treatment methodologies.
“Our district has been proactive in frequently corresponding with local elected officials and Stony Brook University to acquire vital funding for this pilot study,” Schweitzer continued. “Using sound science and the passionate support from New York State and our local elected officials, we are confident that we will have the capability to treat the presence of this compound, and other unregulated contaminants, down to levels of non-detect.”
For more information call the Hicksville Water District at 516-931-0184 or visit www.hicksvillewater.org.
—Submitted by Hicksville Water District
