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Westchester Joint Water Works (WJWW) and three municipalities in New York have been fined $1.25 million for supplying water containing potentially harmful chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), alongside the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, brought the case against WJWW, the town of Harrison, the village of Mamaroneck, and the town of Mamaroneck.
The case stems from violations of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) dating back to 2019. The water provided to approximately 120,000 Westchester County residents exceeded legal limits for chemicals known as haloacetic acids, which are byproducts of the disinfection process. Exposure to these chemicals has been associated with bladder, colon, and rectal cancers, as well as developmental and reproductive health risks.
In addition to the monetary penalties, the settlement requires WJWW to build a \$138 million drinking water filtration plant to address the contamination. The filtration plant will help remove harmful chemicals from the water and improve overall water quality for the affected communities. WJWW has also committed to spending at least $6.8 million on state water quality projects and $900,000 on environmental improvements in the Kensico Reservoir area.
The EPA emphasized that compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act is critical for public health and environmental justice. "Everyone living in the United States deserves safe drinking water," said David M. Uhlmann, Assistant Administrator of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. The new filtration plant, once completed, is expected to significantly reduce health risks for residents and ensure long-term water safety.
WJWW manager Paul Kutzy assured residents that the water supplied by WJWW remains safe to drink and stated that the organization has been actively working to improve the situation. The settlement agreement, now subject to a 30-day public comment period, represents a crucial step toward securing clean drinking water for Westchester residents.
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