Town Of Bedford Gets $841K State Grant To Protect Water Supply

Press release from the Town of Bedford:

Town of Bedford Secures $841k NYS WIIA Grant Leverages Opportunity to Secure New Water Supply

Bedford, NY - The Town of Bedford is pleased to announce that it secured a NYS Water Infrastructure Improvement & Intermunicipal Grant (WIIA) in the amount of $841,050 in pursuit of drilling new wells to establish a new water supply for The Farms and Old Post Road Water Districts.

According to Bedford Town Supervisor Ellen Calves, “We greatly appreciate the help and support we have received from our state representatives to obtain this grant for an essential clean water project in Bedford Village.”

By way of background, new monitoring requirements of the Town’s public water sytems detected elevated Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS) levels in the Town’s back up well, Well 2, above New York State’s Maximum Containiment Level (MCL). While the New York State Health Department has stated that the MCL is set well below levels known or estimated to cause health effects, the Town of Bedford has been working on potential remediation solutions. Note: Well 2 is utilized as a back-up source only.

After carefully analyzing the two potential long term solutions, installing PFOA/PFOS mitigation treatment on the existing wells or the construction of two new water supply wells, Commissioner of Public Works, Kevin Winn has concluded that the best path forward is for the Town to proceed with making available new water sources, subject to confirmation of subsurface conditions and water quality by hydrogeological testing.

According to Commissioner Winn, “In addition to providing a more pristine aquifer, this approach will require less electricity and has the potential to increase the supply capacity.”

Supervisor Calves stated, “Clean drinking water is a foundational service to our residents. I am thrilled that we can address the emerging containments in our backup well while leveraging the opportunity to have a more sustainable long-term approach to our water supply infrastructure. Additional capacity may also allow for additional water use in the business district where services and restaurants could benefit.”

"I am so pleased that Bedford has leveraged the opportunity to secure a new water supply. In New York, we continue to be a leader in clean, safe drinking water, and, given the high cost of maintaining infrastructure, it is critical that the State partner in these efforts. I advocated for this funding because I understand the necessity of this project and will continue to press for clean water infrastructure projects throughout my district," said NYS Assemblyman Chris Burdick.

“The Town of Bedford is taking advantage of this opportunity to develop new state-of-the-art water infrastructure while leveraging state funding to lessen costs to the taxpayers, and I was happy to help partner in the effort. Smart development and continued economic growth require ongoing important investments like these, which will benefit residents and business owners greatly," said NYS Senator Peter Harckham.

The site identified is on a property off of David Lapsley Road. In order to execute this approach, the Town has obtained approval for an easement to install the wells. With the WIIA grant funds covering an estimated 60% of the project costs, the estimated average cost to customers is $250/year.

Hydrogeological testing of the site is underway and the design for the new wells has been submitted to the Westchester County Department of Health and is currently under review.

This press release was produced by the Town of Bedford. The views expressed here are the author’s own.