Dear SCWA Customer:
The Suffolk County Water Authority has been at the forefront of addressing the threat caused by emerging contaminants to Suffolk County’s groundwater for many years and in a variety of ways, including comprehensive and proactive testing, the development of landmark treatment systems and helping those with contaminated private wells hook up to high quality public water.
In recognition of the threat caused by the emerging contaminants 1,4-dioxane, PFOS and PFOA, New York State recently enacted some of the toughest regulations in the country for these compounds. We fully support the state’s action, and in fact anticipated it by taking the steps referenced above. But as the process of receiving state approval for, building and putting into service treatment systems for these compounds can take years, SCWA sought and received a deferral to the regulations that will give us additional time to meet the new standards.
This time—until August of 2022—is absolutely essential, as adding the needed treatment systems is a massive undertaking—approximately 56 specialized advanced oxidation treatment systems to remove 1,4-dioxane and 20 granular activated carbon treatment systems to remove PFOS and PFOA are needed. But as made clear by the public notice issued by state health officials below, your water in the meantime is acceptable for all uses; the maximum contaminant levels set for these compounds, as the notice notes, are set “well below levels known or estimated to cause health effects.”
All the information you need about the new regulations, the deferral and everything SCWA is doing to ensure a continued high quality water supply is included in the links below. We are extremely proud of the water we serve, and encourage you to contact us with any questions you may have.
-Jeffrey W. Szabo
Chief Executive Officer