Environment

Town gets $5M in grants to continue safe drinking water projects in Manorville and Calverton

Riverhead Town received $5 million in grant money last week to continue two projects aimed at helping residents in Manorville and Calverton get access to clean drinking water.

Earlier this month, the town was notified by the state Department of Health — which administers the funding — that Riverhead Water District’s water main extension 97,  which is on Forge Road, and extension 94, which is in Manorville, will receive the grant money to connect areas currently served by well water to public water sources.

The Forge Road project was awarded $1.2 million and the Manorville project was awarded $3.8 million, which will help the town bring clean drinking water to affected residents.

Well water serving homes in those areas has been found to contain high levels of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), man-made chemicals used extensively in industrial and consumer products since the mid-20th century, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Known as “forever chemicals,” they do not break down in the environment and seep through soil and contaminate drinking water. The toxic chemicals are harmful to fish and wildlife, and are known to cause cancer, immune disorders and other diseases in in humans.

“These are significant awards,” said Dawn Thomas, head of Riverhead’s Community Development Agency. 

Manorville resident Kelly McClinchy, who has for years led the efforts to bring public water to the affected sections of Manorville and Calverton still relying on well water, called the latest grant “a pleasant surprise.”

The town has previously received several grants for the project, including $2 million last year and $3.5 million the year prior, officials said. 

There are 64 homes in Brookhaven Town and 64 homes in Riverhead that currently lack a connection to public water sources. Brookhaven Town is served by the Suffolk County Water Authority, Riverhead has its own water district. 

McClinchy said it remains unclear whether the grant money would cover the costs of connecting each house to the public water facilities. 

A community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 22, at the Manorville Fire Department, beginning at 6 p.m., Ms. McClinchy said.