The Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA), which manages the West Neck Water District, and has been subject to controversy and misinformation about possibly taking over the management of Shelter Island’s water, has been granted a $21.5 million grant to fund drinking water infrastructure projects.
The SCWA is not a government entity but an independent public-benefit corporation operating under the Public Authorities Law of the State of New York. It serves approximately 1.2 million Suffolk County residents on a nonprofit basis.
The grant was part of the $435 million Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) for 102 projects across New York state.
The SCWA Suffolk County grant was the single largest recipient of the State money.
According to SCWA, it had received $21.4 million in 2021, and since 2019 has banked more than $92 million from federal, state and local sources to, as it stated “enhance water quality, expand access to public water and treatment capacity.”
The funds will be employed, SCWA said, to install Granular Activated Carbon filters to remove contaminants that have been identified as public health priorities.
“On behalf of our 1.2 million customers, we thank Gov. Hochul and the State of New York for this critical support,” said SCWA Chairman Charlie Lefkowitz. “High-quality drinking water requires proactive investments in treatment technology, and grant funding allows us to stay at the forefront of emerging contaminants while minimizing costs for our customers.”
SCWA Chief Executive Officer Jeff Szabo also weighed in, saying, “Our strategy to seek out and secure grant funding directly benefits our customers. This award enhances our ability to install state-of-the-art treatment systems, addressing current and future water quality challenges without adding a significant burden on ratepayers.”