Plainview Water District Breaks Ground On State-Of-The-Art Plant

PLAINVIEW, NY — The Plainview Water District has broken ground on a new, state-of-the-art treatment plant that officials said will remove "volatile" organic compounds and eventually trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a likely cancer-causing chemical detected in groundwater across Long Island. The water authority announced the news in its seasonal Fall newsletter.

"Thanks to more than $2.5 million in grant funding, the Plainview Water District has been awarded over the past 18 months, the District has broken ground on a brand new water treatment facility," the water authority said.

Officials expect the volatile organic compound removal technology will be operational in late spring. The chemicals both vaporize into air and dissolve in water. They are used in industry, agriculture, transportation and day-to-day household activities, such as pumping gas, dry-cleaning clothes or using chlorine beach in laundry. Once released into groundwater, many of the toxic chemicals are persistent and can migrate to drinking-water supply wells. Several such compounds are deemed cancer-causing for humans, or likely or possibly carcinogens.

While the main purpose for the plant is to remove VOCs, the new treatment facility expansion, located at the district's headquarters, will eventually include the so-called "Advanced Oxidation Process"technology, which water officials have called the most promising type of treatment for removing 1,4-dioxane from potable water systems. In its fall newsletter, water officials said they're still performing necessary pilot studies to determine the scope of the treatment systems for the contaminant.

"This is a big milestone for the Plainview Water District and the entire Plainview-Old Bethpage community," Marc Laykind, chairman of the board of commissioners, said in a news release. "We work tirelessly to provide high-quality drinking water to our residents and the construction of this facility will aide our mission for decades to come."

Each pilot study uses a small-scale version of an "Advanced Oxidation Process" treatment system to test its ability to remove 1,4-dioxane at impacted wells, the water authority said. Pilot studies are required by New York State before any final treatment system can be approved.

Water produced through the pilot systems are put to waste and are not placed into the public drinking system.

The ground-breaking comes after a separate hearing last month on the water district's request for a $25.8 million bond to fund what it called "needed infrastructure projects" to treat emerging contaminants.

The water authority conducted numerous pilot studies in search of the best methods for removing 1,4-dioxane from drinking water.

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.