Riverhead Secures $2.25M to Extend Water to PFAS-Affected Calverton Homes

Riverhead has obtained $2.25 million in federal dollars to bring municipal water lines to roughly 28 Calverton households whose private wells have tested positive for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — the class of synthetic compounds widely called PFAS or "forever chemicals."

Rep. Nick LaLota stopped by Riverhead Town Hall on Thursday to hand over a ceremonial check to Town Board members, marking the previously approved grant, which is expected to cover a share of the project's roughly $5.6 million price tag.

PFAS contamination has long shadowed Long Island communities situated near former industrial or military installations where the chemicals were routinely applied in firefighting foam and related products. The compounds resist natural breakdown in the environment and the human body and have been associated with a range of adverse health effects.

The Calverton water-extension project is designed to wean affected residents off tainted private wells by hooking them into a treated municipal supply system.

LaLota, a Republican seeking another term in the House this November, announced the grant earlier in the year. His office and local officials assembled Thursday in Riverhead for the ceremonial check presentation to mark the funding achievement.

The $2.25 million covers only part of the overall project budget; officials did not detail where financing for the remaining balance would come from. A construction schedule and project timeline were not immediately made available.