Month: July 2023

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

Plainview Water District Board of Commissioners and staff
at Plant 2 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

The Plainview Water District (PWD) recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the newly completed, state-of-the-art treatment facility that was specifically designed to remove emerging contaminants 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS from the community’s drinking water. Plant No. 2, located on Donna Drive, represents a $4.2 million investment into the community’s drinking water infrastructure that is capable of producing up to two million gallons of high-quality drinking water each and every day. The Plainview Water District is viewed 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 ceremony marks yet another major milestone for the Plainview Water District and our mission to continue delivering high-quality water to the POB community,” said PWD Commissioner Marc Laykind. “This facility was operational in record time, well before the new water quality regulations went into effect, and that was only made possible by the dedication of the hard work by our staff and engineering team. With its permanent, year-round capabilities, this facility will bolster our ability to continue providing water that meets and exceeds all water quality standards.”

The facility was initially designed to repurpose treatment equipment previously purchased to complete the temporary treatment system installed in 2020. 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. Construction began in November 2021 to redevelop the temporary treatment plant into a year-round facility to treat for these contaminants. This ensured the District remained ahead of the regulatory timelines for emerging contaminants established by the New York State Department of Health, without the need for an extension to remain in compliance.

“This plant was strategically transformed from a temporary facility to a permanent facility to create a long-standing plant that will produce billions of gallons of the highest-quality drinking water over the next couple of decades,” said PWD Commissioner Andrew Bader. “By continuing to invest in our infrastructure, we are investing in our community for generations to come. The District has put in tremendous effort and resources to create this facility and being able to see the astonishing outcome has truly been remarkable.”

The treatment technology required to remove 1,4-dioxane is called the Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP). This treatment system 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 any 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 1,4-dioxane.

“It was a noteworthy experience to be able to take part in the celebrations for this facility, particularly after getting to witness the PWD’s staff and engineer’s great efforts over the past seven months,” said PWD Commissioner Michael Chad. “Seeing just part of the hard-work and time that went into the creation and execution of this project was remarkable. We thank all those who had a hand in developing this great facility for our community.”

For further information, or if you have any questions, please call the District at 516-931-6469 email info@plainviewwater.org or visit www.plainviewwater.org. Residents can also 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.

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(L-R) Plainview Water District Commissioners Andrew Bader, Marc Laykind and Michael Chad at Plant 2.
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As seen in the Mid-Island Times on July 14, 2023

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Water District Offers Best Practices and Tips to Help Lower Third Quarter Bills

Plainview, N.Y.—The Plainview Water District (PWD) would like to remind residents that July is Smart Irrigation Month! This time of the year is a great reminder of the benefits of smart controllers and their ability to reduce water consumed by irrigation systems by up to 30 percent. With the warm and dry summer weather, District-wide water pumpage numbers are up significantly due to the high use of irrigation systems. As part of its Preserve Plainview initiative, the District would like to provide residents with ways to save water around their homes and businesses.

“Every summer, the District sees increased water usage that is almost exclusively attributed to irrigation systems,” said PWD Commissioner Marc Laykind. “We highly encourage all residents and businesses throughout the District to prioritize conservation efforts and implement best practices into their daily routines. In doing so, we are making a great impact on the protection of our water source and not overburdening our infrastructure.”

Water consumption in the Plainview-Old Bethpage community nearly triples during the summer months. Water conservation will not only reduce unnecessary water waste and save residents money, but will significantly decrease excess pumpage of the aquifer and stresses to the District’s groundwater wells and treatment systems.

The Plainview Water District strongly recommends consideration of swapping your standard automatic irrigation timer with a smart irrigation controller to help increase conservation efforts locally. Smart controllers use a Wi-Fi connection to tap into local weather stations to automatically adjust watering schedules based on past, present and future local weather conditions, ensuring that lawns and gardens only receive the precise amount of water they need in order to stay lush and green.

“Smart irrigation controllers are incredibly useful tools to assist with any irrigation routine,” said PWD Commissioner Andrew Bader. “These devices are known to significantly reduce water usage by creating the appropriate watering schedules for the area. We encourage any residents of the POB community to install this helpful technology as it will create positive benefits to water conservation goals as well as lower their third quarter bills during the summer months.”

Smart irrigation controllers are effective at reducing water use because they use information such as local weather conditions, plant type and soil moisture levels to determine accurate landscaping water needs. The systems also adjust to weather conditions automatically, allowing lawns and gardens to thrive under optimal watering conditions without any user intervention. 

“While there are no current water shortages, it is our duty to take appropriate precautions to help preserve Long Island’s water source,” said PWD Commissioner Michael Chad. “There are many simple best practices that we can all use throughout the community to create a positive impact. Smart irrigation controllers can assist in improving conservation while creating healthier, more resilient lawns and simultaneously helps lower third quarter bills.”

Here are some simple ways to conserve water this summer:

  • Follow Nassau County’s Lawn Watering Ordinance
    • Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
    • Odd-numbered homes can only water on odd-numbered days.
    • Even and non-numbered homes can only water on even-numbered days.
  • Install a rain sensor or check that your current rain sensor is functioning properly.
  • Use a drip irrigation system to limit water lost through evaporation and improve amount of water delivered to root systems.
  • Consider planting drought-resistant shrubs and flowers in your garden or mulch around existing flower beds to retain additional water.

For further information, or if you have any questions, please call the District at 516-931-6469, email info@plainviewwater.org or visit www.plainviewwater.org. Residents can also 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.

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In the Event of Power Outages and Other Impacts of Severe Weather, Water Will Keep Flowing

Plainview, N.Y. —In the event of a difficult hurricane season and other extreme weather, The Plainview Water District (PWD) is prepared despite any potential flooding or widespread power outages. The District is well equipped to continue to provide residents with the highest quality water possible, regardless of the weather. In the past, when our region has experienced significant storms—such as Irene, Sandy and Isaias—water never stopped flowing to Plainview-Old Bethpage (POB) residents.

“Every year, the District works diligently to take precautionary measures to plan for both short-term and long-term weather related situations,” said PWD Commissioner Marc Laykind. “These plans ensure that our supply and distribution system operations can handle any severe weather event. We have planned accordingly and made the necessary investments in both infrastructure and manpower to keep water flowing twenty-four seven.”

All water pumps and treatment facilities rely heavily on electricity in order to operate. If a power outage does occur, the PWD has its own emergency generator facilities on standby at all of its plant sites to automatically take over supplying electricity. The generator equipment is maintained year-round and tested frequently to ensure it is always ready when needed. In addition, all members of the PWD are trained and prepared to use the equipment and handle many different emergency situations like hurricanes and tropical storms.

“Part of all of the PWD’s continued infrastructure and improvement projects are designed to provide back-up power to our facilities,” said PWD Commissioner Andrew Bader. “Ensuring that our facilities are self-sufficient and can remain operational is due to all of the hard work of our teams and professional engineers who design these systems.”

The District is also a member of New York’s statewide Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (NYWARN) of utilities that encourages and supports emergency preparedness across the state, as well as disaster response and mutual aid for public and private water and wastewater utilities. As a member of NYWARN, neighboring water suppliers from across the state provide emergency assistance when necessary. The PWD is proud to help assist its neighboring water systems in case of an emergency.

“Any weather-related matters such as power outages can be extremely stressful situations to deal with,” said PWD Commissioner Michael Chad. “We want our residents to be fully aware that all District facilities and staff are prepared to act immediately should our facilities lose power or be impacted in any other way by a severe storm. The Plainview-Old Bethpage community can be sure that the District will continue to provide high-quality water, no matter the circumstances surrounding the weather.”

For further information, or if you have any questions, please call the District at 516-931-6469 email info@plainviewwater.org or visit www.plainviewwater.org. Residents can also 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.

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