Drinking Water Safety In Lewisboro Has Lawmakers' Full Attention

LEWISBORO, NY — When it comes to federal and state funding to help protect Lewisboro drinking water's dangerous chemicals, the cup runneth over, thanks in part to the persistence of local elected officials.

On Monday, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney toured the Lewisboro water treatment plant with Lewisboro Supervisor Tony Gonçalves, Town Council Member Andrea Rendo, Heather Lackey, the Chief of Staff for State Assemblyman Chris Burdick, Robert Flores, the Project Manager at Delaware Engineering, advocates and impacted residents. They celebrated the $1.8 million delivered to Lewisboro to clean up the Lewisboro water supply and remove PFAS chemical contaminants. Maloney has previously announced nearly $20 million in funding for Hudson Valley priorities, including the Lewisboro project, via federal funds for community projects.

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The Lewisboro project will repair the Oakridge Water District public water system, which was recently found to have PFAS levels above the state's maximum contaminant level in public drinking water systems. The contaminated well was shut off and a backup has been used but was only a temporary solution. Corrective actions will require Granular Activated Carbon filtration and an expansion of the existing water plant structure.

“Dangerous chemicals have no place in our drinking water, here in Lewisboro or anywhere across the country," Rep. Maloney said. "Today, we are taking a major step forward to ensure residents in Lewisboro have clean water now, and for generations to come, by delivering $1.8 million to remove PFAS contaminants from the water supply."

Maloney said that while Lewisboro took interim steps to protect the community from exposure to PFAS chemicals, federal support was necessary to help chart and fund a long-term solution.

"The success of this project and this process can be attributed to the collaboration of all levels of government," Lewisboro Supervisor Tony Gonçalves said. "We had local, county, state, and federal all working together. And this is how government should work."

It was also announced last month that the Town of Lewisboro will receive a New York State DWEIC grant award of $1,163,700 for its Oakridge Water District PFAS Removal project.

"This water facility here has been contaminated with PFAS and, even though there’s the temporary operational controls to provide levels below the health department levels, we have to remove it permanently and have zero detectable levels of PFAS entering people’s homes. So that’s what the granular activated carbon, the GAC filter, that we’re designing and building will do," Project Manager Robert Flores explained. "The contamination is here. It’s real. The good thing is we know how to get rid of it. We know how to treat it. And, even better news, there’s money to pay for it."

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said that Lewisboro is in good company when it comes to taking decisive steps to protect drinking water.

“With what is known now about dangerous chemicals like PFAS, it is imperative that government work to ensure that residents’ drinking water supply is safe," Latimer said. "Thanks to this funding secured by Representative Maloney, the residents of Lewisboro can rest assured knowing that their elected officials are on the case. As a County government, we have undertaken similar efforts in other parts of Westchester to remedy this potentially harmful situation and will continue to do so until we can right what is wrong."