LaLota Secures Funding To Mitigate Contaminants In Westhampton Water

WESTHAMPTON, NY — In another move forward for the Suffolk County Water Authority’s Westhampton Water Main Extension project, Rep. Nick LaLota said recently that he'd secured $1.25 million to provide safe water to residents.

"Every American has a right to safe, reliable, and clean drinking water. I was proud to secure $1.25 million for the Suffolk County Water Authority to help mitigate PFAS contamination in Westhampton, as well as millions to support similar infrastructure projects across Suffolk County and protect our water," said LaLota. "Ensuring this funding can directly benefit Long Island families is essential to my work in Washington. Putting Suffolk County first has always been and will continue to be my guiding light in Congress."

Funding for the project will allow for the extension of the water main for 64 homes in the vicinity of Old Country Road in Westhampton. The homes are within a Suffolk County Department of Health Services survey area for PFAS. The project will provide the homes with access to clean water, with the drinking water tested often, officials said.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, polyfluoroalkyl substances — known as PFAS — are found in water, air, fish, and soil; scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals, the EPA said.

"We are deeply grateful to Congressman LaLota for his advocacy for the Westhampton community," said Charlie Lefkowitz, chairman of the Suffolk County Water Authority. "Clean drinking water is the right of every New Yorker but making these projects affordable is critical to giving access to that resource. The residents in Westhampton are faced with the uncertainty that comes when their private wells are contaminated with PFAS. They can’t trust the water they drink. Thanks to this funding we will soon be able to extend high-quality public water to these families, giving them peace of mind every time they turn on the tap."

The Suffolk County Water Authority funding is provided by the Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which was signed into law in March, LaLota said.

Westhampton has been at the forefront in water quality improvements in recent years, announcing positive news in regard to bringing a sewer connection to the downtown business district in March, 2023.

Last year, a "First Flush" ceremony was held at the Westhampton Free Library, with elected officials and others present for the momentous event.

The "First Flush" event celebrated the completion of the long-awaited project connecting the village's business district to the county’s wastewater treatment plant at Frances S. Gabreski Airport. The sewer district connection allows for the Westhampton Beach downtown to continue to expand and attract new businesses, including restaurants, as well as create apartments where none were previously able to exist.

The connection also works to protect both the quality of water, by preventing nitrogen from entering the groundwater, officials said.

"This is an important project for the village, both for the environment and for downtown revitalization," Southampton Town Supervisor Maria Moore, who was then Westhampton Beach Village mayor, has long maintained. "It will eliminate approximately 5,000 lbs. of nitrogen annually, reducing the waste to Moniebogue Bay by 24 percent. And it will allow for a lessening of restrictions in the downtown."

Moore said that a study provided by Stony Brook scientist Dr. Christopher Gobler in the project’s initial planning stages laid out the enhanced environmental protections and improved water quality that would ensue. Gobler first reported that the system would reduce the nitrogen content into the bay by 5,000 lbs. yearly.

In 2018, then-Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone signed legislation to authorize an agreement with the village to connect its business district and two condominium complexes to the county’s wastewater treatment plant located at Gabreski Airport.

At first, Westhampton Beach officials considered building a new sewage treatment plant in the village, but ultimately decided that it would be too costly. A sewer consultant had estimated that the village would save about $7.4 million by contributing toward an expansion of the county’s treatment plant, known as Suffolk County Sewer District 24, which currently serves Gabreski Airport, the Air National Guard base and the companies located in the Hampton Business District, Moore has explained.

The county’s treatment plant at Gabreski Airport required modifications in order to accommodate the additional sewage from Westhampton Beach. The sewage treatment plant used the connection fee of $1.8 million from the village to offset the cost of the modification, which increased the plant’s capacity by 50 percent, village officials said.

The sewer development followed on the heels of the Main Street reconstruction and revitalization project.