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The bond act will provide $765,000 to design an engineering plan to bring the county's Water District 1 into compliance with enhanced federal guidelines for safe drinking water. The final construction of the project is expected to cost about $10 million dollars. The federal government had originally directed Westchester County to build a treatment plant that would have cost about $100 million.
The EPA requires the county to use an ultraviolet treatment facility to kill cryptosporidium, a parasite that can cause gastrointestinal illness. Some municipalities in Westchester County's Water District 1 -- Scarsdale, White Plains and North Castle -- are not receiving the ultraviolet treated water.
County Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler has assured residents of the communities in question that their water is safe for drinking. Mount Vernon and Yonkers, which are also in Water District 1, are already receiving treated water.
The U.S. attorney brought a civil lawsuit against Westchester County in August 2013 for noncompliance with the EPA standard. The fines for noncompliance could accrue at a rate as high as $37,500 per day. "This bond act stands as an example of the incredible successes we can deliver when we work together across party lines, branches of government and municipal borders," said Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz.
"Balancing the requirements of the federal government against the needs and resources of county and municipal governments resulted in a piece of legislation that will likely save Westchester taxpayers tens of millions of dollars in capital projects while providing the safest, cleanest drinking water possible."
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