Thursday, October 1, 2026
More than two dozen public water providers across Nassau and Suffolk counties have been awarded in excess of $250 million as part of what is considered a historic $10.5 billion nationwide class action settlement with 3M Company.
This resolution comes after years of litigation holding manufacturers accountable for the contamination of Long Island’s sole-source aquifer with harmful forever chemicals — specifically PFOA and PFOS, members of the PFAS chemical group.
“These forever chemicals have caused tremendous harm to our environment and have greatly impacted our sole-source aquifer,” Long Island Water Conference Chairman Robert McEvoy said in a news release.
“Long Island’s water providers have fought hard to make sure that polluters pay for the damage they have caused, and we are pleased to see that these efforts have yielded results for Long Islanders,” McEvoy added. “Constructing, operating, and maintaining the treatment systems required to remove these contaminants is extremely expensive, and those costs should not be borne by Long Island ratepayers.”
Settlement funds will vary by provider, depending on the extent of contamination and treatment needs. The monies will be used to support the installation and ongoing operation of treatment technologies, including Granular Activated Carbon filters and Advanced Oxidation Process systems.
Since 2017, Long Island water suppliers have invested more than $1 billion in these systems to meet evolving state and federal water quality standards.
While state and federal funding have offset some of these capital costs, ratepayers have largely borne the brunt of ongoing operational expenses. This settlement provides significant financial relief and ensures continued delivery of clean, safe drinking water to Long Island residents.
The award is the first of multiple expected payments related to PFAS contamination. A second class action settlement — this one with DuPont de Nemours Inc. in the amount of $1.185 billion — is still pending. Most Long Island water providers involved in both settlements are members of the LIWC and are represented by Sher Edling LLP.
“We are proud to represent public water providers who fight for the health and financial security of their communities and are glad they are getting some relief from the high costs of removing PFAS from their water supply,” Matt Edling, a partner at Sher Edling LLP, said in the release.
