Multi-year class action settlement against 3M Company will provide local water providers with critical financial support for PFAS remediation efforts
The Plainview Water District (PWD) is among several Long Island water providers set to receive a significant financial award from a historic class action settlement with 3M Company. This national litigation—stemming from the widespread contamination caused by PFAS chemicals, commonly referred to as “forever chemicals”—has resulted in settlement funding being allocated to public water providers across the country. Over the course of the next ten years, the District will receive approximately $4 million to help offset the considerable costs associated with constructing, operating and maintaining advanced treatment systems to ensure the continued delivery of high-quality drinking water to the Plainview-Old Bethpage community.
“These contaminants have posed a threat to our groundwater and the infrastructure needed to remove them is both complex and costly,” said Marc Laykind, PWD Commissioner. “PWD has been committed to addressing the issue of contaminants head on, having been one of the first in the region to construct facilities specifically designed to treat for PFAS as part of new infrastructure and upgrades to existing facilities since 2017. This funding helps ensure that the financial responsibility for this pollution falls on those who caused it, not on the public water providers working to clean it up.”
The settlement will help support long-term operations and maintenance of the already installed and in service treatment systems. This outcome represents a significant victory for communities across Long Island, as it offers financial relief from the ongoing costs tied to maintaining water quality that not only meets but exceeds all state and federal regulations.
“This funding helps support the Districts continued investment in the advanced technologies needed to keep our water reliable and the highest-quality possible,” said Andrew Bader, PWD Commissioner. “It represents a meaningful acknowledgment that local water providers should not have to shoulder the full financial burden of addressing contamination they did not create.”
Since 2017, the Plainview Water District has been at the forefront of implementing cutting-edge water treatment technologies to address emerging contaminants such as PFAS and 1,4-dioxane. This includes the installation of Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters and Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) systems across several facilities. Approximately $70 million is being invested within the Plainview-Old Bethpage community to construct and upgrade these treatment facilities. While a significant portion of these capital projects have received support from state and federal grant programs, PWD has had to absorb the substantial ongoing costs of operating and maintaining these systems to ensure uninterrupted delivery of high-quality drinking water. The funds awarded through this settlement will play an important role in helping to offset those operational and maintenance expenses from POB residents.
“Our team has remained focused on staying ahead of evolving water quality standards by investing early and aggressively in treatment infrastructure,” said Michael Chad, PWD Commissioner. “These efforts were not only necessary but urgent and having additional financial resources through this settlement will help us maintain this critical momentum.”
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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