NY Grants Riverhead Another $5M for Water Hookups

New York State granted another $5 million to help connect the public drinking water system to Manorville and Calverton homes with private wells believed to be polluted by toxins from the former Grumman facility.

The state Department of Health awarded the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Emerging Contaminant Funds grant to connect 73 single family homes and six industrial properties to either the Riverhead Water District or the Suffolk County Water Authority.

“The health and safety of Riverhead residents will remain a priority throughout my administration. The Town of Riverhead’s diligence to address the important need to provide potable water to our residents was once again supported by our federal and state public officials at the behest of the entire Riverhead Town Board and with strong public support.”

Suffolk Department of Health Services tests revealed in 2020 that the level of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) were well above the state’s maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per trillion in wells near the former federally owned Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant, which closed in 1996. The use of industrial-strength firefighting foam during past training exercises at the plant have been known to introduce chemicals such as PFAS into the surrounding groundwater.

Exposure to PFAS can lead to adverse health outcomes in humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The grant is the latest in a series awarded to help mitigate the polluted drinking water wells. Including $1.5 million last year and $7 million the year prior.