Plainview Water District: 1,4-Dioxane Treatment Up And Running

PLAINVIEW, NY — The Plainview Water District's first advanced oxidation process treatment system is up and running, officials said Thursday morning. The treatment system along with granular activated carbon is the only combination proven to remove 1,4-dioxane from drinking water. Plainview's system was approved by the state Department of Health.

The district's plant No. 2 is the first of four production facilities to receive the treatment combo. It is producing water with non-detectable levels of 1,4-dioxane — a likely cancer-causing chemical detected in groundwater across Long Island — ahead of the state’s compliance deadline.

"This is a watershed moment for the Plainview Water District and our community as a whole," Chairman Marc Laykind said in a news release. "We have been dedicated to the development of these AOP treatment projects each and every day for more than two years so it is extremely gratifying to have our first system up and running. Being in this position today is no small feat—this came together because of this District’s comprehensive planning and execution all in the name of providing higher-quality water to Plainview-Old Bethpage residents."

New York health officials in August finalized regulations to set a cap for contaminant levels for emerging compounds 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS. New York was the first and only state with an enforceable limit for 1,4-dioxane, the district said. Those regulations will take effect later this year.

"We are proud to be one of the first Nassau County water providers to have an operational AOP system," district Commissioner Amanda Field said in a statement. "The Plainview Water District has put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to ensure we are in the position we are today. With construction completed at the other impacted well sites, we will be able to get them up and running as soon as we receive the required approvals from the health department."

Plant No. 2 was the first water supply and treatment site in the Plainview Water District to have a completed dual-treatment system. Treatment systems at three other of the district's plants were also completed, though those systems won't run until state health officials grant approval. The district expects to have the necessary approvals for the remaining treatment facilities in the near future.

"Even though there is a provision that could provide water providers with an additional three years to come into compliance with the new regulations, our plan was always to have treatment up and running as soon as possible,"district Commissioner Andrew Bader said in a statement. "Water quality is, and will always be, our foremost concern and we will continue to make whatever infrastructure improvements are necessary to deliver water to our residents that meets or surpasses all water quality guidelines."

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.