Groundwater and Superfund on Long Island, New York—It's Not What You Drink

Long Island has a population of more than 3 million people, and is a designated “Sole Source Aquifer.” This designation was established to protect the drinking water supply as there are no alternate sources available, other than groundwater, for Nassau or Suffolk Counties. Long Island also is the home of more than 250 “Superfund” sites, the highest concentration in the nation. Discharges from a variety of sources have led to a significant decline in the quality of the underlying aquifer system. Significant efforts have been made to ensure that the distributed drinking water is “safe and clean.” The expense of ensuring a safe, clean, water supply for customers is increasing as treatment systems are added to public supply wells to meet tightening regulatory requirements, compounded by the frequency of contaminated plumes impacting the wells.

The paper focuses on efforts and coordination among agencies to investigate and manage Superfund sites on Long Island and the impacts of other, non-Superfund sources of contamination or threats to the groundwater aquifer system. The anticipated effects of “climate change” are also presented in relation to the sustainability of Long Island and its groundwater aquifer systems.