Suffolk County officials and neighbors say decades-old contamination tied to the former Grumman/Navy complex in Calverton has reached a boiling point, with new county health data showing PFAS and other chemicals in nearby ponds and private wells. Residents told reporters they are exasperated that cleanup has lagged while people who fish or rely on well water may be getting a firsthand dose. A community meeting Tuesday drew elected leaders and environmental advocates, who pressed the Navy and federal regulators for faster action and clearer answers.
According to News 12 Long Island, a Suffolk County Department of Health Services review that compared county testing with Navy sampling found PFAS in 11 private wells and said three tested above New York’s legal thresholds. County officials told the station some samples measured as much as 1,000 times the allowable level. County Executive Ed Romaine warned several homeowners "can no longer safely use their well water" and said the cost to connect affected properties to public water will be substantial. The county review also flagged elevated PFAS and other contaminants in waterways that feed the Peconic River, heightening concern for anglers and lakeside residents.
Public information posted by the Navy paints a different picture. The Navy outlines rounds of private well sampling in 2016, 2020 and 2025 and says most off-site wells it sampled were below federal action levels, according to the U.S. Navy. Navy site descriptions also document multiple on-site areas of concern where PFAS and other contaminants were detected and say further remedial investigation work is planned. That gap between county and Navy results is now the focal point of local demands for a faster, fully funded cleanup.
County Says Navy Testing Undercounts The Problem
Suffolk County health staff have publicly criticized the Navy’s methods, arguing that sampling which looks at contaminants one chemical at a time misses the full mix and vertical extent of the plume. County associate hydrogeologist Andrew Rapiejko told News 12 Long Island, "You analyze for all the contaminants of concern. You don’t analyze one at a time." Residents echoed that impatience, with one longtime neighbor saying, "They've known about this for a long time and nothing has been done." Restoration Advisory Board members have also pressed the Navy to accept and present county vertical-profile well data to the public, according to Riverhead Local.
Public Water Extensions Are Underway
Local officials say the most durable fix is hooking affected homes to public water, and the Suffolk County Water Authority has been extending mains into impacted neighborhoods as part of a multi-phase push. SCWA says the South River Road project has already connected dozens of homes and that further phases will reach many more properties by the end of 2026 using federal, state and local grants. Officials note those hookups can slash exposure quickly, but they also stress that completing connections for every affected well remains costly and politically tricky.
Legal And Federal Pressure Mounts
County leaders and advocates have urged the EPA to designate the former plant a Superfund priority and to use federal authorities to accelerate cleanup and pay for public water extensions, a push chronicled by regional reporting and advocacy groups. Riverhead officials previously sued chemical manufacturers over wider groundwater contamination in the area, and environmental groups say federal oversight and funding are now central to a full remedy, as reported by WSHU and local coverage. County Executive Romaine says he will press federal lawmakers for help to reach every impacted household.
For now, Suffolk health staff say they will continue independent testing and community briefings while the Navy completes additional remedial investigations and monitoring at the former weapons plant. How quickly officials can reconcile divergent datasets, and whether federal regulators will step in with money or a Superfund designation, will determine whether homeowners get faster access to safe water or face years more uncertainty.
