The Hampton Bays Water District has found cancer-causing contaminants, known as PFOAs, in its public wells in recent years. Now the Suffolk County Water Authority has proposed taking over daily operations to help.
Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said he’s waiting to hear from the community before supporting the proposal, but he sees the benefit in working with the Water Authority.
“They have some significant advantages that I can’t provide to the residents through the Hampton Bays Water District alone. They have their own testing laboratories so we don’t have to wait months for testing results to find out if the water is safe to drink.”
The deal includes nearly $15 million in infrastructure upgrades like an iron and manganese removal system that addresses complaints of rust-colored water.
The town board is expected to vote on the proposal by the end of the year after two public hearings. If it passes, the SCWA would take over in April.
