$120 surcharge approved for Dix Hills Water District improvement projects

Town of Huntington officials last week approved three measures for the Dix Hills Water District aimed at keeping up with state drinking water standards.

The town will start charging district customers a surcharge of $120 a year to help fund water improvement projects.

The board also voted to borrow $3 million to build and implement wellhead treatment improvements at Plant No. 8 and to bond $4.7 million to purchase smart water meters that keep a 90-day history of water usage plus current usage, town officials said. 

The town board approved all three resolutions 5-0 at the April 11 meeting. The board serves as administrators to the district.

The new surcharge will be billed quarterly starting this month, Councilman Dave Bennardo said.

Bennardo, who sponsored the resolutions, said the money will be used to buy water filtering systems and expenses related to the removal of contaminants such as 1,4-Dioxane, PFOS and PFOA from the district's 17 supply wells. 

“Something had to be done and we didn’t want to keep coming back in steps taking smaller amounts from the public each time," he said. 

Last week, the federal government set stringent limits on the contaminants in Long Island drinking water, surpassing state standards. The standards require utilities to limit “forever chemicals” linked to cancers, developmental damage and other health problems.

The Environmental Protection Agency set maximum contaminant levels at 4 parts per trillion for each of those compounds. For PFNA, PFHxS and a set of compounds called “GenX Chemicals,” the limit is 10 parts per trillion. Public water systems have until 2029 to comply with the limits.

Councilman Sal Ferro said town officials were informed by the Suffolk County Department of Health about the updated federal standards.

"We will review the new standards and will do whatever is appropriate and necessary to make sure we adhere to them," Ferro said. "Our job is to make sure the water is safe to drink."

PFOS and PFOA are part of a group of chemicals known as PFAS used in nonstick and water-resistant products, and 1,4-Dioxane has historically been used as a solvent stabilizer in shampoos, cleaning products and detergents.

Studies have shown exposure to PFAS may damage the reproductive and endocrine systems and have other health impacts. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified 1,4-Dioxane as a probable human carcinogen.

The state Department of Health’s Public Health and Health Planning Council in 2020 set maximum contaminant levels of one part per billion for 1,4-Dioxane in drinking water, as well as 10 parts per trillion for PFOS and PFOA, two of the most common forever chemicals, which are found in Long Island groundwater. 

The district serves approximately 8,400 homes and businesses. The average residential customer pays $56.50 per quarter while the average commercial customer pays $53 for the same period. The district pays the town $850,000 a year to cover administrative costs, including vehicle maintenance, accounting and legal services. The district employs a staff of 14.