Hicksville Water District Celebrates 105 Years

Since its founding in 1921, the Hicksville Water District has been steadfast in its dedication to ensuring that its many residents receive the high quality of water service that they deserve. In 2021, the HWD celebrated its centennial anniversary with an extensive look back through the District’s history.

We have continued to see tremendous success in the five years since then, and we would like to share with you some updates on a number of our biggest projects.

Despite Rising Treatment Costs, HWD Keeps Rates Down

While the Hicksville Water District’s mission has always been to provide the community with the highest-quality water service available, it is equally important that this service be provided at the lowest possible cost to residents. We take fiscal responsibility very seriously, and we are proud to say that, despite the ever-increasing costs of water treatment and infrastructure, annual budget increases have been held to a minimum over the last six years and water rates for residential accounts have not gone up since 2021. In 2020, the New York State Department of Health implemented new regulations to address emerging contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS. Once these regulations came into effect, the HWD undertook swift action to provide wellhead treatment to comply with the new water quality standards. The capital improvements centered on the installation of new treatment technology consisting of a combination of the Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) and Granular Activated Carbon (GAC). Engineers estimated these capital improvements to cost $95 million. From 2020 through 2025, the District invested $72,594,273 in capital improvement projects with a median spend of $12,750,225.50 per year. However, since residential water rates have not changed since 2021, the median amount of metered water sales sits at only $3,760,269.50 per year. In fact, 2023 and 2024 saw less money made through metered water sales than in 2022 despite Hicksville’s growing population. The HWD has been able to keep those numbers down by maintaining a low cost for water and encouraging water conservation throughout the community.

As of Summer 2026, the District has either started or completed capital work at all our facilities Throughout this entire process, we have worked alongside federal and state elected officials to acquire grants to offset the cost of these projects to our residents. This advocacy has resulted in our District receiving $37.8 million in state and federal aid. By deriving another $43 million in borrowing and $9 million in budget transfers, we have done everything possible to lighten the financial strain on our community. In an effort to further decrease costs, the District continues to hold polluters accountable for their actions through litigation. The HWD has received $45 million in settlement funds to date, half of which is in reserve to offset the significant and permanent increase to annual operational costs. All of this has helped the District keep year-to-year budget increases at a minimum. Property tax increases have also consistently remained under the 2% tax cap each year. The HWD remains committed to ensuring that our residents continue to receive the high-quality water service they deserve while keeping costs down. We have been tremendously successful in doing so throughout the last decade and we are dedicated to doing everything necessary to keep it that way far into the future.

Plant #5

Construction of Well 5-2 and the ground storage tank at Plant 5 on Stewart Avenue was completed in 1964. Well 5-3 was completed in 1977. Air stripping towers were added to the facility in 1992.

In May of 2022, the HWD cut the ribbon on new treatment technology at Plant 5, including two Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) treatment systems and four Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) vessels that remove emerging contaminants such as 1,4-dioxane and PFAS from drinking water before it is distributed to residents’ homes.

“Plant 5 represents yet another great step forward in the Hicksville Water District’s mission to rid our water of emerging contaminants,” said HWD Commissioner Nicholas Brigandi. “The District has worked incredibly hard to make sure that our residents never have to worry about the quality of their water. It was fantastic to see so many public officials come out in recognition of our dedication to the community, and we thank all those who attended for their support.”

Plant #6

Two wells at Plant 6 on Kuhl Avenue were drilled in 1952. The first well was redrilled in 2001.

The District completed a $4.3 million renovation of Plant 6 in 2013. The project included the installation of a new nitrate and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) removal tower, as well as the upgrade of piping equipment and electrical controls.

After shutting the facility down due to the presence of emerging contaminants, construction at of new treatment systems at Plant 6 began in 2023 with a ceremonial groundbreaking. A number of federal, state and local elected officials joined the District in celebrating the occasion, as well as representatives from several New York State environmental organizations.

Construction on Plant 6 concluded in 2025. It is equipped with two Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) treatment systems and four Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters to treat 1,4-dioxane and PFAS. Of the approximately $13 million in costs associated with getting Plant 6 online, $2 million was funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $3 million was funded by the New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement grant program, ultimately cutting the cost of this plant to residents by $5 million, or about 38.5 percent.

Plant #8

Plant 8 on Dean Street was opened in 1958. The District added another well at the site in 1977. An air stripping tower was added to the facility in 1988.

Construction on a new administration building began at Plant 8 in 1961. The building still serves as the District’s headquarters today, having undergone major improvements in 2022.

Following the discovery of emerging contaminants within the plant’s drinking water, the HWD shut turned it offline in October of 2021. After three years of diligent planning and construction, it reopened in July of 2024. The site now includes two Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) treatment systems and four Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters which are needed to remove 1,4-dioxane, PFOA and PFOS. Thanks to the advocacy of District leadership, the HWD was able to secure a $7.1 million New York State grant for the project, cutting the cost of the project in half.

Shortly after its completion, the District invited residents whose homes neighbor the site to tour the facility, as well as local elected officials who helped get the project off the ground.

“There is nothing more important to us at the Hicksville Water District than providing our community with safe, high-quality drinking water,” said HWD Commissioner Karl Schweitzer. “The completion of these treatment systems at Plant 8 allows us access to the use of two more wells from which we can draw water and distribute to our residents. This helps to alleviate stress on the rest of our infrastructure and ensure more efficient water service to residents’ homes.”

Plant #9

The first two of the three wells currently operating at Plant 9 on Alicia Street were dug in 1971. To meet increasing demand, another well was added to the site in 1986.

In September of 2023, three new Advanced Oxidation Process (AOP) systems and six Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filters came online to treat emerging contaminants within the wells’ drinking water. This project represented one of the District’s biggest endeavors in emerging contaminant treatment and a great many elected officials were on hand to celebrate with the District.

“We are tremendously proud to announce the opening of Plant 9, which will prove to be a crucial piece of our infrastructure as we remove emerging contaminants from our drinking water,” said HWD Commissioner William Schuckmann in September, 2023. “It is one of the biggest treatment facilities in our District, making this project one of the most important we have undergone in the last several years. It was a pleasure to celebrate the opening of such a significant achievement, which was made all the better by the fact that we were joined by so many of our elected officials whose advocacy helped make this a reality. We thank them for being there with us and for their service to our community.”