New Treatment System Specifically Designed to Remove 1,4-Dioxane

Plainview, NY (April 27, 2021)—The Plainview Water District (PWD), along with area elected officials, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the recently completed, state-of-the-art treatment facility that was specifically designed to remove the emerging contaminants 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS from the community’s drinking water. Plant 1, located at the District’s headquarters on Manetto Hill Road, is a $7.6 million facility capable of producing up to four million gallons of high-quality drinking water each and every day. The Plainview Water District has emerged as a leader in water treatment and has successfully put more Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) systems in place than any other water supplier on Long Island. 

“This is a significant moment for the Plainview-Old Bethpage community as it marks a major advancement in our abilities to provide our residents with the highest quality water for decades to come,” said PWD Chairman Marc Laykind. “Even before talks about regulating these new contaminants started, we were working on plans to construct this facility. Here we are, several years later with the project completed, serving water to our customers that is in compliance with some of the strictest regulations in the country. It is a proud day for the water district and our community.”

In August 2020, the New York State Health Department finalized regulations establishing maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for emerging compounds 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS. The District started planning to build this treatment facility in 2018; at the same time the state started discussions about regulating these contaminants. Due to its proactive stance and sound financial planning, the District was able to fund this specific multi-million-dollar investment without impacting rates by using reserve accounts as well as receiving a $2.1 million grant the District was awarded from the state.  

“We are proud to be one of the first water providers to have an operational AOP system and one of the few water suppliers impacted by emerging contaminants that did not need additional time to come into compliance,” said PWD Commissioner Amanda Field. “The Plainview Water District has put in a tremendous amount of time and effort to ensure that treatment was in place well before the regulations went into effect. Seeing the fruits of our teams’ labor is truly remarkable, especially when you consider what it means for our community.”

The treatment technology needed to remove 1,4-dioxane is called the Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP). It works by adding a small amount of an oxidant into the water—in this case hydrogen peroxide—that passes through an ultraviolet light reactor destroying the 1,4-dioxane molecules. From there, the water then travels through Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration—industrial-sized carbon filters—so the remaining detections of the oxidant as well as other volatile organic compounds can be removed before water goes through the rest of the treatment and delivery process. This treatment duo, which is also effective at removing PFOA and PFOS, is the only method approved by state and local health departments to remove these synthetic compounds.

“This has been a herculean effort by our staff and our engineers to bring this facility from drawings into real life,” said PWD commissioner Andrew Bader. “This plant was built for longevity, meaning, over time, it will produce billions of gallons of the highest-quality drinking water for the Plainview-Old Bethpage community. By investing in our water, we are investing in our community for generations to come.”

For more information about emerging contaminants and the steps the District has taken thus far, please visit plainviewwater.org/resources/emerging-contaminants/. If you have questions or seek additional information, please call the District at 516-931-6469 or email info@plainviewwater.org. Residents are also encouraged to sign up to receive information by submitting their email address through the District’s homepage or following them on Facebook in order to stay up-to-date with District activities and initiatives.

District Offers Homeowners Water- and Money-Saving Tips As Irrigation Season is Set to Begin

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“Outdoor water usage is the single largest contributor to the District’s increased pumpage between May and September,” said Marc Laykind, Chairman of the Plainview Water District. “To accommodate for the increased use, we have to use every bit of our infrastructure to meet demand and that each drop meets all federal, state and local guidelines. If every resident could introduce a new water-saving measure this summer it would go a long way in preserving our most precious natural resource.”

Irrigation clocks that are set in April and then not touched again until they are turned off in the fall are primed to waste thousands upon thousands of gallons of water. This is because a lawn’s water needs are drastically different in April than they are in July. A trick to keep in mind is to set irrigation clocks every time the thermostat is adjusted. A less time-consuming option is to consider technologies such as a rain sensor or a smart controller. Smart controllers replace standard irrigation timers and use Wi-Fi to connect to a local weather station to use data to adjust watering schedules and amounts accordingly.

“We pump more than 100 percent more water in the spring and summer than we do the rest of the year, and it’s essentially all attributed to lawn sprinkler systems,” said Plainview Water District Commissioner Amanda Field. “That is why it is so important for residents to understand how to optimize their home irrigation systems. Their efforts will not only contribute to the long-term sustainability of our aquifer, but it will have a real impact on their second and third quarter water bills.”

Plainview Old-Bethpage residents are also reminded of Nassau County’s Lawn Watering Ordinances, which dictates when homeowners can and cannot water their lawns. The ordinance stipulates that even-numbered homes can only water on even-numbered days, odd-numbered homes can only water on odd-numbered days, and no lawn watering can be done between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on any day.

“There are so many ways to cut back on water usage that might not seem significant, but over time they can amount to big savings,” said Plainview Water District Commissioner Andrew Bader. “No effort is too small to consider as every gallon adds up over time. If you identify an area where you and your family can save water, go for it. The less water we use now, the better shape our aquifer will be for generations to come.”