Glen Cove city officials plan to borrow more than twice as much money for capital projects this year as in 2017, with most of the increase going to fund efforts to fight Freon 22 contamination that has closed two city drinking water wells.
“We don’t have a choice,” Mayor Timothy Tenke said.
Water is that critical.” The city council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on authorizing $8,891,350 in bonds for capital improvements, including $3,575,000 related to installing Freon-removing air strippers.
Glen Cove officials expect to spend many millions more in the coming years to outfit all six city water wells with air strippers, which, in addition to removing Freon 22, are more effective than currently used equipment in stripping out other contaminants, Tenke said.
Nassau County ordered two water wells closed — one in November, the other in January — after elevated levels of Freon 22 were found.
The county health department on March 28 approved the city’s request to reopen one of the wells after Freon 22 levels dropped.
The city is borrowing $858,000 this year to buy and install the shell of a used air stripper, plus new equipment to go along with it, for the two shuttered wells.
The used air stripper is an interim measure — especially during the high-water-use summer months — while a permanent air stripper is installed over the next 12 to 18 months at another well, officials said.
That well has been closed since 2011 because of Freon 22 and structural issues, and the work to reopen it with the air stripper is expected to cost $4.7 million, with more than half coming from this year’s borrowing.
All of the unanticipated Freon-related spending comes as the city works to stabilize its finances and reduce its debt, which was more than $52 million at the end of 2017, down from about $62 million in late 2013.