Suffolk County Water Authority's water quality goals
The Suffolk County Water Authority did not pollute the aquifer with PFAS, yet it bears the costs of removing it from the water supply, the authority's chief executive writes. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Water authority goals align with EPA
The article “Suits seek to upend water standards” Long Island, March 9] may have misled readers about the Suffolk County Water Authority and the lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency’s new PFAS “forever chemicals” standards.
SCWA did not file this lawsuit and is not a party to it. It was brought by the American Water Works Association and later joined by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, of which SCWA is one of many members. The lawsuit seeks to ensure the EPA follows the Safe Drinking Water Act’s intent.
Regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome, SCWA’s commitment to water treatment remains unchanged. We have invested tens of millions of dollars in advanced treatment technology and will be fully compliant with the EPA’s 4-parts-per-trillion (PPT) standard by this summer — years ahead of the 2029 deadline.
SCWA did not pollute the aquifer with PFAS, yet we bear the costs of removing it from our water supply. Our customers should not bear those costs. That’s why SCWA is suing PFAS manufacturers to hold them accountable. Whether the standard is 10 PPT, 4 PPT, or lower, our goal remains the same — zero. We will continue investing in technology to remove contaminants to non-detectable levels.
— Jeffrey Szabo, Oakdale
The writer is the Suffolk County Water Authority CEO.
New York’s water infrastructure is putting our health and communities at risk [“Will drinking water be put in danger?”, Letters, March 14]. With billions of dollars in needed repairs, we must invest now to fix aging pipes, upgrade treatment plants, and remove toxic “forever chemicals” and lead from our drinking water.
In her budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed $500 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act — but that’s not enough to meet growing needs. Our state leaders must increase funding to $600 million to keep water safe, create well-paying union jobs and prevent skyrocketing water bills.
— Joseph M. Varon, West Hempstead
The writer is a member of the Food & Water Watch Long Island chapter.
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