NORTH SALEM, N.Y. - North Salem has received a state grant that will ensure folks in Croton Falls have a safe, clean, and reliable source of drinking water for “years to come,” according to state Sen. Pete Harckham (D-District 40).
The $151,000 was secured with Harckham’s help through the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology (CREST) Program, which supports community and economic development initiatives and is administered by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY).
It will be used by the town to install a PFAS filter in the Croton Falls Water District’s Well 4.
PFAS are a class of several thousand man-made chemicals linked to serious health conditions, including thyroid disease, liver damage, kidney cancer, and other adverse health effects.
Often referred to as “forever chemicals,” they do not break down naturally in the environment and can accumulate in the human body over time.
The Croton Falls Water District, located near the Croton River, serves more than 200 residents and relies on two “groundwater-under-the-direct-influence-of-surface-water” (GWUDI) wells for approximately 90 percent of its water supply.
A planned maintenance project of the Delaware Aqueduct by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is expected to put additional strain on the Croton Water System. This will lower the water level of the Croton River, and in turn, reduce the output of the district's primary wells, Harckham said.
To maintain a reliable water supply during the project, the town plans to return Well 4 to service.
It had been taken offline several years ago after PFAS and other contaminants were detected.
“With the installation of modern PFAS treatment technology, the well can once again provide safe drinking water while meeting current water quality standards,” Harckham said.
Supervisor Warren Lucas thanked Harckham for helping get the town the grant, which he said will “help us remove PFAS from our drinking water while reducing the financial burden on our residents.”
“We are grateful for his partnership and commitment to our community,” Lucas said of Harckham.
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