Wainscott Water District Project Moving Ahead

WAINSCOTT, NY — A water district project is moving forward quickly in Wainscott and residents can opt to have their homes hooked up immediately upon installation, town officials said Monday.

Residents can choose to have the work done through the project's contractor, or engage their own plumber for the work, a release from East Hampton Town said.

Residents of Wainscott, where East Hampton Town is sponsoring an extension of public water mains by the Suffolk County Water Authority, can have their houses hooked up to the water mains, an option that's recommended due to perfluorinated chemical contamination in some groundwater wells, the town said.

In August, the SCWA and East Hampton Town applied jointly for grant funding under New York State's Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 for a "massive project" designed to bring safe public water to more than 500 residents of Wainscott impacted by the detection of perfluorinated compounds.

Those who plan to hook up to the water main are encouraged to obtain full estimates of the cost of their hook-ups, from both the Water Authority contractor and from a private plumber, before deciding how to proceed, town officials said, adding that the use of a private plumber will likely yield savings, due to the higher costs of publicly bid labor contracts.

The Water Authority must adhere to state law and bidding procedures, including selecting the lowest responsible bidder; winning bidders are required to meet certain Department of Labor and insurance requirements, which drives up costs, the town said.

Residents have two options for their private service line hook-up, which entails the installation of a line from the water main in the street to a business or residence, and the required hook-ups to internal plumbing. Property owners can either hire a private plumber for the work, and pay them in full at completion — or, those who own property can opt to have Asplundh Construction, the contractor for the Water Authority, do the work under the Wainscott Water District program, town officials explained.

"This will allow you to pay for the cost of the hook-up over time, as East Hampton Town will pay the upfront cost. You will be assessed for repayment of the cost of your service line, plus interest based on the town’s bonding costs, on your annual tax bill over a period of at least 20 years," the release said.

East Hampton Town has instructed the Suffolk County Water Authority to make residents fully aware of their options before they are asked to make a choice. There is no requirement that residents hook up to the water mains, but it is recommended, the town said. The deadline for hooking up under the town financing program is July, 2020; after that residents can hook up under regular Water Authority procedures.

Another option is to install a Point-of-Entry, or POET, water treatment system designed to filter perfluorinated chemicals. For those with wells where perfluorinated chemicals have been detected — under an emergency declaration in effect until public water is available at a resident's address — the town is offering rebates on the cost of those systems of up to $3,000, or 90 percent of the cost. Information on POET systems and the rebate program is available on the town's website here.

Patch file photo.