US county passes bond act to resolve water treatment concerns

The Board of Legislators of Westchester County in New York, US, has passed a bond act to provide $765,000 for designing an ultraviolet (UV) treatment system for Water District 1.

The project will be able to save local taxpayers up to $80m, as it will enable the county to save on the $37,500 daily fine levied by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for violation of Clean Water Act regulations.

Expected to cost around $10m, the project is said to be a cost-effective alternative to the $100m treatment plant that was originally directed to be built by the Federal Government.

EPA had sued Westchester County last year, as the water supply in the northern parts of Water District 1 was not treated to meet the Clean Water Act requirements.

According to the act, water across the municipalities must be treated at a UV facility to kill cryptosporidium, a harmful parasite leading to gastro-intestinal illnesses.

Board of Legislators chairman Michael Kaplowitz told Yonkers: "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.

"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."