Bethpage Water District Filing Lawsuit Against Northrop Grumman

BETHPAGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- The Bethpage Water District is filing a lawsuit against Northrop Grumman Corporation, claiming actions at the plant contaminated the soil and groundwater for years.

The Water District claims the company caused "irreparable harm" by improperly disposing of chemicals from 1949 through 1962 and created a toxic plume that affects the drinking water.

EXTRA: Read The Full Lawsuit

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages to cover the cost of water treatment and to build new wells outside of the plume area.

"The plume is actually worse than anyone originally anticipated and we're continuing to do upgrades and that is, at this point, costing us millions of dollars," Water District Superintendent Michael Boufis told 1010 WINS.

Despite the groundwater being contaminated, Boufis said the drinking water is safe. The water district serves Bethpage, Old Bethpage, Farmingdale, Levittown and Plainview.

"The groundwater, the aquifer that everyone draws from, that portion underneath Bethpage is contaminated," Boufis said. "When we do the well-head treatment, we remove all the contaminants and give them pure drinking water."

In May, the Water District shut down one of its drinking supply wells after elevated levels of the known carcinogen radium were detected. Officials believed the radium was coming from the nearby Northrop Grumman property.

There's been no comment from Northrop Grumman to the lawsuit.

For more information, visit bethpagewater.org.

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