Long Island water quality continues to improve, new report says

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — A new report released on Thursday says drinking water is slowly getting safer on Long Island.
The findings credit stringent state and federal guidelines and mandatory chemical filtering from water suppliers. As CBS News New York’s Jennifer McLogan reports, although multiple water districts exceed limits, there is overall growing improvement.
At Flux Coffee in Farmingdale, Ryan Bartlett says it’s all about the water. Every pour, every sip, demands quality.
“Clean water should be a priority, definitely. It should be a basic human right. I think everyone is entitled to it,” Bartlett said.
Pushed by the public, the state has adopted some of the strongest drinking water standards in the nation.
“The water that we are delivering has been treated, so all the water that goes out is meeting, surpassing federal and state standards,” said Daniel Dubois, of the Suffolk County Water Authority.
“[It is] especially hyperlocal around here with the history of Grumman and some contaminants in water. It’s something we focus on — me, my wife, and extended family,” Farmingdale homeowner Mark Sweeney said.
Studies show Long Islanders use 70% more water than the national average due in part to lawn irrigation and golf courses, but the Long Island’s sole, and vast, aquifer is a limited resource.
Since 2015, the Citizens Campaign for the Environment has been tracking forever chemicals in the aquifer — 1-4 dioxane and PFAs, man-made carcinogens that are linked to serious health issues.
“We are very happy that we have some good news finally. It shows you regulations are working,” said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign. “We are going to continue to make progress and continue to fight this fight.”
However, water suppliers say filtering out chemicals in water from the aquifer is an expensive process, one that needs continued state funding.
There is now an interactive map residents can use to be watchdogs of their communities monitoring forever chemicals.
Last year, the village of Hempstead had the highest amounts of 1-4 dioxane, and the western Nassau County water district had the greatest number of PFAs, contaminants found in household products.