EPA Says Westchester Water is Unsafe to Drink

Is Scarsdale water safe to drink? Though the Village says "yes," the U.S. District Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has filed a complaint against Westchester County on behalf of the EPA charging that the County failed to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). A January 5, 2006 ruling from the EPA required the County to implement water treatment systems to prevent contamination from Cyrptospiridium. This microbial pathogen can cause cryptosporidiosis, a potentially fatal illness that includes diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps.

According to the complaint, Water District No. 1 which includes White Plains, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, the Village of Scarsdale and the Town of North Castle "failed to comply [by] upgrading its water treatment facilities to comply with the SDWA." As a result, the EPA believes that we are at risk of consuming water contaminated with Cryptosporidium. People with weakened immune systems, young children, pregnant women and the elderly are at heightened risk and their symptoms tend to be more severe and persistent.

Scarsdale draws raw water from the Kensico Reservoir and partially treated water from the Delaware Aqueduct. The water from Kensico is untreated surface water and is not filtered to inactivate Cryptosporidium. In order to eliminate it from the water the EPA requires the district to use ultraviolet treatment. Since Water District 1 failed to comply, the EPA is seeking penalties of up to $37,500 for each day of the violation after January 12, 2009.  Read the entire complaint here:

Scarsdale Village officials posted a notice on the Village website, claiming that our drinking water is safe. They explained that Scarsdale is fed by two pumping stations: the newly renovated Ardsley Road station and the older Reeves Newsom Water Supply Station which experienced pump failures two weeks ago.

Water from Ardsley is treated with ultraviolet and protected against Giardia and Cryptosporidium. However the Reeves Newsom pumping station is due for an upgrade and water from that station is not treated. According the Center for Disease Control, boiling water for one minute is highly effective for killing Cryptosporidium, so concerned residents can boil their drinking water until the situation is resolved.

Scarsdale Village Managers believe the untreated water is safe. According to the statement, "There has been no change to the water supply and it is safe to drink water in Scarsdale and in the communities of WCWD#1 as Westchester County, the USEPA and US Attorney resolve differences in the strategy for installation of UV Treatment of the water."

We followed up with a few questions for Village Manager Al Gatta and here is what we learned:

What percentage of Scarsdale's water comes from Reeves Newsom vs. Ardsley Road?
The water in the four communities of the Westchester County Water District #1 is as safe as it has been for decades. The current issue between the County and the US Justice Department is that the County is required to treat the water to a high standard and has been late in meeting that requirement. Currently about 20% of the flow is from ARPS, but in the winter we can get up to 100% from ARPS.

Do these pumps serve different areas of the Village?
No, both pump stations feed into the water system and the water mixes.

Did the US Attorney and the EPA warn the County?
This issue dates back to 2006 when the County was working on a plan to resolve the issue. The plan was never taken to fruition and the current dispute between the County and Federal government has just been recent. As a result of the County not showing any movement in the last seven years the Federal government has insisted on the County entering into a consent agreement to firm up compliance.

How long have they known about this issue?
The communities in Water District #1 which include Yonkers, Mount Vernon, Scarsdale and White Plains have been requesting that the County move forward with this project since 2006.