A Nassau father says he has twice the legal limit of a potential carcinogen in his water, and he only found out after participating in a Yale University study.

As part of the newest three-part What’s In The Water series, News 12 is exploring the impact a Yale University study will have on Long Islanders, as well as those participating in the first-in-the-nation study.

The second story Tuesday showed an exclusive look inside the labs at Yale University as researchers search for answers about how 1,4 dioxane impacts the human body.

During the first report on Monday, News 12 shared details about why Long Islanders questioned water quality for years before 1,4 dioxane was discovered in the island's water supply.

Now, a Seaford father wants answers after his participation in the Yale study revealed a danger coming from his tap, and is encouraging other Long Islanders to participate.

Seaford resident Bill Pavone says it took Yale researchers coming into his home to learn about the danger coming from his faucet.

Hundreds of Long Islanders like Pavone are getting their water and blood sampled for a Yale study into 1,4 dioxane.

That's the compound that's been found seeping into the groundwater across the island from industrial waste.

In July 2024, researchers say Pavone's water had more than two times the New York State limit of the potential carcinogen.

"I went ballistic. I've been drinking potentially tainted water,” he said. "We were told by Liberty Water that the water quality was safe to drink."

A 2020 New York law requires water suppliers to minimize levels of 1,4 dioxane in drinking water to one part per billion, the nation's toughest standard.

The Suffolk County Water Authority was the first to develop the leading technology to reduce 1,4 dioxane to non-detectable levels, through the advanced oxidation process. 

Tim Kilcommons, SCWA chief engineer an director of research and development, says it took a while before they got approval to utilize machinery that split up 1,4 dioxane molecules.

Kilcommons gave News 12 a look at their Northport facility and explained part of the process utilized across their service area to keep Long Islanders safe.

"We have hydrogen peroxide being injected into a small mixer,” he said. “And from that mixer, it goes into the AOP reactor. The reactor has UV lights inside it."

The AOP process has helped water districts, like Hicksville.

Hicksville Water District Superintendent Paul Granger said they had to work fast once 1,4 dioxane was discovered in the water supply.

"Our levels were pretty high and we wanted to keep the exposure to the public to a bare minimum, which they were very successful in achieving,” he said.

The machines, however, come at a cost. 

"You're looking at 900,000 to $1 million,” said Granger.

Liberty Water, Pavone's supplier, asked the state for more time to get into compliance.

Liberty says it notified the public about the delay starting in January 2021, but Pavone says he never got the notice."

"I just can't trust what was told to me,” he said.

Now Pavone is worried about his health.

"High blood pressure, high cholesterol, cognitive decline,” he said. “Who knows?"

He has greater concerns though. 

"I'm more concerned about what's going to happen to my kid,” said Pavone. “I got a 17-year-old who's always drinking the water out of the tap"

Liberty Water issued the following statement to News 12 after inquiring about the high levels in Pavone’s water.

Learn more about the study and 1,4 dioxane here.

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At Liberty, our top priority is to deliver safe, reliable water day in and day out, and we are proud that the water we deliver meets or exceeds all local and federal standards, including those for 1,4 Dioxane. Because of this commitment, we worked to construct our Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) treatment system at our Seamans Neck plant as quickly as we could, despite supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The plant came online in mid-August 2024, just weeks after a water sample was taken from a Seaford customer for the Yale Superfund Center study. Thanks to this treatment facility, our water consistently tests below the maximum contaminant level for 1,4-Dioxane.

During the three years it took to build the AOP treatment plant, Liberty customers were regularly notified of our water quality results and deferrals granted by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Specifically:

 

We take seriously our responsibility to not only provide safe, high-quality, and reliable water to our customers every day, but also to keeping our communities informed of the work we do to better serve them.

 

We encourage any customer with questions or concerns to please reach out to us so we can assist them.