Port Washington Water District Gets $18M For 3 Treatment Plants

From Port Washington Water District: Thanks in part to its policy of exploring all possible avenues for infrastructure funding and careful financial planning, the Port Washington Water District (PWWD) announced recently it has received approximately $15 million in grant funding from New York State. This money will significantly reduce the financial impact of PWWD’s recently passed $16.1 million infrastructure bond and will allow the District to install three, state-of-the-art facilities for the treatment of emerging contaminants, particularly 1,4-dioxane.

“The Port Washington Water District would like to thank Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature for generously allocating this grant funding,” said Port Washington Water District Board of Commissioners Chairman David Brackett. “This grant will help fund a portion of the infrastructure needed to treat for emerging contaminants in our water supply; further solidifying our treatment capabilities for decades to come.”

The approximately $18 million in grant funding awarded to PWWD will allow the District to pay off a portion of the $16.1 million bond recently taken out by the District to build three new treatment facilities. These new facilities will include the installation of a new treatment technology called Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP), the only approved method to remove 1, 4-dioxane and any potential treatment byproducts from the drinking water. Additionally, the new facilities will include a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration system, an industrial-sized carbon filter that is used in tandem with AOP treatment.

“What this grant will do is allow us to pay back the bond and help offset the costs of this vital work to our residents,” said Port Washington Water District Commissioner Peter Meyer. “We are grateful to have the State as a dedicated and committed partner in the fight against contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane.”

The Port Washington Water District’s funding comes as water providers across Long Island and the State prepare for the new standards of Maximum Contaminant Levels for water contaminants soon to go into effect. The District, along with several other Long Island water providers, has filed litigation against manufacturers of these emerging contaminants as an additional means of recouping the high costs associated with the facilities, technology, monitoring, operations and maintenance necessary for effective treatment.

“We appreciate the State’s leadership and these resources, and we recognize that they will help water providers begin to address the enormous challenges and costs posed by emerging contaminants,” said PWWD Commissioner Mindy Germain. “But the fact remains that these are New York taxpayer dollars being spent on a problem that chemical manufacturers knowingly caused. Our lawsuit aims to put that financial responsibility back where it belongs—on those companies.”

For further information, or if you have any questions, please call the District at 516-767-0171, email info@pwwd.org or visit www.pwwd.org. To receive regular updates from the Port Washington Water District, please sign up for email updates on the District’s homepage. Don’t forget to stay connected to the Port Washington Water District’s on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pwwaterdistrict.

This press release was produced by Port Washington Water District. The views expressed here are the author's own.