'Tough Decision': Hicksville Water District Institutes Moratorium

HICKSVILLE, NY —Hicksville homes and businesses seeking a new or larger water service line are going to be waiting for quite some time. The Hicksville Water District said Wednesday it passed a resolution to implement a moratorium on water service connections for all new commercial and residential requests.

Water officials said the proactive move was to prepare for the looming approval of the state's emerging contaminant regulations involving 1,4-dioxane, a chemical found in groundwater that has been linked to cancer.

"The Hicksville Water District’s Board of Commissioners has the unwavering responsibility of protecting the needs of our current residents and this policy decision reflects that commitment," Nicholas Brigandi, chairman of the water district, said in a news release. "As the timeline for compliance with the pending 1,4-dioxane regulations remains unknown, this action will help protect our ability to meet the existing water demand of our residents should we have to take supply wells out of service."

The temporary freeze on new connections will likely be lifted after all treatment systems for emerging contaminants — meaning 1,4-dioxane and PFAS — are up and running, and the district is pumping water at full capacity.

"This moratorium will remain in effect until the Hicksville Water District is certain that it can meet the peak water demands of our existing residents," Karl Schweitzer, commissioner of the water district, said.

See also: Port Washington Water District Institutes Moratorium On New Water Service Connections

Schweitzer said the Hicksville water authority supports the state's intentions to ensure drinking water is as high quality as possible, but lamented that it will experience "serious issues meeting demand" if it is not given enough time to install necessary treatments.

"This was a tough decision for us to reach, but we made it with the best interests of our community and its residents in mind," Schweitzer said.

Individuals and businesses who requested connections before Sept. 10 will still be considered.

State health officials are finalizing regulations to establish a maximum allowable threshold in drinking water for 1,4-dioxane at 1 part per billion. At this level, the Hicksville district said it would have to take 10 of its 14 wells out of service until state-of-the-art treatment systems are operational.

Studies have shown that using an advanced oxidation process — mixing water with an oxidant and running it through an ultraviolet light reactor — combined with an industrial-sized carbon filter is an effective way of destroying 1,4-dioxane. Several water authorities on Long Island are moving forward with such treatment plans, and the Hicksville water district said it is aggressively moving to buy equipment and install treatment facilities.

In addition to the moratorium, the district is developing a plan to conserve water that it believes will help curb the stress to water availability should any pumping stations be taken offline. That plan would focus on reducing non-essential water use, such as watering lawns.

More details are expected to be released in the coming months.

Several Long Island water districts have sued in recent years accusing major companies of deliberately making and selling products containing 1,4-dioxane to industrial plants and consumers despite knowing it was toxic and would inevitably end up in the groundwater. Trace amounts of the contaminant were found in cosmetics, detergents and shampoos, as well as paint-strippers, dyes, greases, varnishes and waxes.

The solvent is a clear liquid with a faint, pleasant odor and easily mixes with water, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It has been found in at least 31 of the 1,689 current or former sites identified by the EPA as having been targeted for long-term federal cleanup efforts.

The contaminant doesn't break down and people can become exposed via residential tap water. Health effects can range from eye and nose irritation to severe kidney and liver damage or even death, depending on how much is ingested and for how long. The International Agency for Research on Cancer identified 1,4-dioxane as possibly cancer-causing for people, while the federal Environmental Protection Agency classifies the chemical as likely cancer-causing. The federal Department of Health and Human Services, meanwhile, considers it reasonably expected to be a carcinogen.