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Town board approves multiple water-district projects; residents press for PFAS progress
Summary
The Town of Hempstead board approved funding and environmental findings for water-system upgrades across several districts, including advanced treatment for East Meadow and main replacements; residents raised ongoing concerns about PFAS contamination and asked for progress reports.
The Town of Hempstead Town Board on May 13, 2025 voted to close public hearings and adopt measures enabling several water-district improvement projects, including an East Meadow Water District plan to install advanced oxidation process treatment and iron-removal equipment and a replacement of about a quarter-mile of water main on Prospect Avenue.
The moves follow a presentation from the Department of Water and prompted public questions about contaminants. Commissioner Reinhardt, Department of Water, told the board that the East Meadow projects include “the installation of an advanced oxidation process treatment and iron removal at 1 of our wells in East Meadow” and that, “going back to 2015, we were addressing the Grumman plume.” He also said the town board has committed “over a quarter of a billion dollars to removing those chemicals from our water.”
Why it matters: the approved projects are framed as responses to water-quality problems that residents repeatedly raised during the meeting, including concerns about PFAS and legacy contamination near the South Shore. Residents asked for clearer progress reports and timelines for remediation.
Board action and project details - East Meadow Water District: The board adopted a negative declaration in connection with the construction of a treatment facility housing advanced oxidation and iron-removal equipment, and approved a water-main replacement along Prospect Avenue. During public comment, a Baldwin resident said the projects should benefit “all the water districts” and asked for a status update; Commissioner Reinhardt said the town has been addressing contamination issues since 2015 and offered to meet with the resident for more detail. - Levittown Water District: The board approved funding for a building improvement project to modernize a well house on Water Lane South. Commissioner Reinhardt said the item is for design/funding of a future project and identified the budget authorization at roughly $500,000 for this phase. - Roosevelt Field Water District: The board approved a bond item that includes repainting a water tower on Dibley Drive and the extension of a packed-tower aerator at Well 10.
Procurement and equity questions A member of the public asked whether the town’s bidding practices prioritize service-disabled-veteran-owned businesses and minority/women-owned firms. Commissioner Reinhardt said the town places SDVoB and MWBE requirements on state-funded water improvement contracts and that those requirements have been observed on recent projects. On the Levittown item he added that “this 1 is $500,000” and that the contract will return to the board for design and bidding.
What was not decided The approvals were for the environmental finding (negative declaration) and for bond/financing authorizations and design funding in many cases. Final construction contracts and detailed schedules will be developed in design phases and brought back to the board for competitive bidding.
Next steps and follow-up Residents who asked for additional detail were invited to meet with the commissioner for a status briefing. The board recorded roll-call approval for the items as part of the public-hearing votes.
Ending: The board framed the measures as part of a multi-year investment in water quality; specifics on construction timelines, contractor awards and phased completion dates will be set during project design and later votes.
