$9.7M Grant Awarded For Wainscott Water Main Installation

EAST HAMPTON, NY — New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a $9.7 million water infrastructure grant award for East Hampton Town and the Suffolk County Water Authority Tuesday, aimed at covering the costs of water main installation throughout the entire Wainscott water district, town officials said..

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc and the Suffolk County Water Authority initiated the water main extension project in early 2018 in response to well testing commenced in 2017 by the state and county health departments, which revealed the presence of perfluorinated chemicals, or PFOS, in some Wainscott wells.

According to a release from Van Scoyoc's office, the main installation is approximately 50 percent complete, and will ensure that more than 500 households have safe drinking water.

The $9.7 million grant is part of $200 million in state funding earmarked for efforts to address contaminants in drinking water supplies; the funding includes $185 million for water treatment system upgrades to combat emerging chemical contaminants such as PFOS, town officials said.

The grant to the Town of East Hampton and the SCWA represents the largest award from $15 million earmarked for ongoing community projects; all of the funding comes from Cuomo’s $2.5 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act, the release added.

The grant for the water main infrastructure in the Wainscott water district will yield a savings for all East Hampton taxpayers, outside the incorporated villages, Van Scoyoc's release said.

Wainscott residents who hook up to the water mains will bear the costs of their hook-ups themselves, either through hiring a private plumber or using the Water Authority contractor, which will enable them to amortize the cost over a minimum of 20 years through an assessment on their tax bills, town official said.

Patch photo courtesy East Hampton Town.