By Hank Russell
The Town of Riverhead recently received $1.25 million of its Water Main Project. U.S. Representative Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) helped secure the funding for the project.
The money was made available through Community Project Funding (CPF) and is provided by the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, which was recently signed into law.
Funding for this project will allow for the extension of 37,000 feet of public water main and the connection of 90 homes located south and east of the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant at Calverton, allowing for the provision of safe, clean drinking water to these residents. The private wells that serve the local communities have been affected by groundwater contamination, and the residents do not currently have access to clean drinking water.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, the funds were applied for by the Community Development Department through Congressionally Directed Spending, in an effort to provide potable public water to residents whose private wells have become contaminated south and east of Calverton Enterprise Park. Some of the wells tested positive for many contaminants, including Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)/Perfluoroalkyl Carboxylate (PFOA) in excess of EPA and NYS limits. These substances were developed in the 1940s and 1950s, and commonly used in firefighting foams.
“The $1.25 million in federal funding I secured for the Town of Riverhead will ensure that Calverton and Manorville residents have access to clean, safe drinking water. This kind of support is vital for improving the quality of life in communities across Suffolk County,” said LaLota. “It takes a team effort to ensure Suffolk County gets its fair share of federal resources and I am eager to continue working with Supervisor Hubbard and the Riverhead Town Board to secure more essential funding for the Town of Riverhead.”
“On behalf of the Riverhead Town Board, I want to recognize the efforts of Congressman LaLota in working diligently to bring federal dollars back to the Town of Riverhead,” said Town Supervisor Timothy C. Hubbard. “As a result of the Congressman’s efforts, residents in Calverton and Manorville will have access to clean, potable drinking water.”