Federal courts are busy sorting out lawsuits affecting drinking water on Long Island. One is an action against companies responsible for chemicals that have polluted local supplies, and another alleges that new standards are too high for the “Forever” contaminants.
The cost to remove these chemicals is high, leading to an action by water supply organizations to allow them to stay at the New York State standard of 10 parts per trillion rather than the stricter 4 PPT required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Used in everyday products such as non-stick cookware and water-resistant fabrics, per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have turned up in Suffolk’s drinking water wells. The compounds take a long time to break down and have been listed as cancer-causing.
A strange bedfellow situation arose when the legal action against the EPA’s more stringent limits by the American Water Works Association and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies were joined by trade groups representing the producers. These include the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Chemistry Council, and the DuPont company Chemours, the maker of Teflon. Set to take effect in 2029, the new requirements were advanced under President Biden. The Trump Administration, with Long Island’s Lee Zeldin heading the EPA, has asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for time to review the regulation.
The Suffolk County Water Authority has invested tens of millions in technology with the goal of eliminating contaminants in the water supply to non-detectable levels. “SCWA’s stance is clear: whether the standard is 10 PPT as set by New York State, 4 PPT as established by the EPA, or any other threshold, our goal remains the same—zero,” stated CEO Jeff Szabo.
“The fact is SCWA did not pollute the aquifer with PFAS. But our wells draw from that aquifer, and SCWA is now faced with enormous treatment costs to remove the contaminants,” Szabo continued. “Our customers should not bear that financial burden —the polluters should. That is why SCWA is suing the manufacturers of PFAS to hold them accountable for the costs of installing and operating this treatment. Ratepayers should not have to pay for the actions of chemical companies that profited while polluting our water supply.”
The CEO said the Suffolk authority will be fully compliant with the EPA’s 4 PPT standard by this summer. “Our dedicated team of water professionals takes their duty to protect public health with the utmost seriousness, and these achievements are proof of that,” he said.