Town board authorizes water-district projects; residents raise costs, 1,4-dioxane and oversight concerns

The Town of Huntington authorized a series of water- and sewer-district improvement projects at a town-board meeting that also included vigorous public comment about rising water bills, state-mandated treatment for the contaminant 1,4-dioxane, and requests for greater district oversight.

On roll-call votes the board approved requests from multiple special districts under Town Law —7202-b, with the board noting that debt service on the typical district bond is borne by district ratepayers rather than the town at large.

Greenlawn Water District Nathaniel (Nat) Corwin of Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein presented the Greenlawn Water District's request to authorize an increase and improvement of facilities for Well Number 5 at an estimated cost of $9,994,000, including an advanced oxidation process (AOP) system for treatment of 1,4-dioxane. "Well number 5 accounts for approximately 22% of the water district's pumping capacity," Corwin said, and the project includes AOP, GAC equipment, a building and a generator. He said the state set a 1,4-dioxane maximum contaminant level at 1 part per billion in February 2020 and that grant funding had not yet been made available for this type of project. The town board subsequently approved the authorization by roll call, 5-0.

Dix Hills Water District The board…