Congress and Trump approve Rep. LaLota’s 10 Community Projects Totaling Over $11 Million

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Nick LaLota (R–Suffolk County) announced that the community projects he authored and advanced through the Appropriations process were signed into law today, January 23, 2026. The bill includes ten Community Project Funding projects totaling $11,839,915 for Suffolk County, delivering critical investments in clean water infrastructure, law enforcement equipment, and environmental protection across New York’s First Congressional District.

"Suffolk County families deserve clean drinking water and safe communities, and these federal investments will deliver exactly that," said Rep. LaLota. "From mitigating PFAS contamination in our groundwater to equipping our police departments with modern vehicles and communications equipment, these projects represent targeted, taxpayer-funded solutions to real problems facing Long Island residents."

"These aren't generic federal programs—these are solutions designed specifically for Suffolk County challenges identified by local officials," Rep. LaLota continued. "Whether it's the PFAS contamination at EPCAL that requires federal responsibility, road drainage infrastructure in Miller Place and Sound Beach, aging sewer infrastructure in St. James, or modern police equipment from Asharoken to East Hampton, these projects address real needs with local input."

The community projects advancing include:

1. $2,266,857 for the Suffolk County Police Department Vehicle Fleet Acquisitions Project
2. $1,200,000 for the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Fleet Enhancement Program
3. $871,701 for the Southold Town Police Department Vehicle Acquisitions Project
4. $782,100 for the Southampton Town Police Department Mobile Command Center Technology Upgrades Project
5. $132,857 for the Southold Town Police Department Radio Upgrades Project
6. $2,250,000 for Water Main Installation for PFAS/PFOA-affected Calverton and Riverhead Homes
7. $1,250,000 for the Town of Brookhaven Miller Place-Sound Beach Drainage Project
8. $1,086,400 for the Town of Smithtown PFAS Contamination Water Main & Boundary Extension Project
9. $1,000,000 for the St. James Sewer Treatment Plant Upgrade Project
10. $1,000,000 for the Kings Park Outfall Pipe Replacement Project

Five additional transportation and economic development community projects LaLota authored totaling $15.3 million passed the House are currently awaiting further action in the Senate.  

BACKGROUND:

Suffolk County Police Department Vehicle Fleet Acquisitions – This comprehensive project will provide the Suffolk County Police Department—one of the nation's largest police agencies with approximately 2,500 sworn officers serving 1.5 million residents—with 5 new and 10 used unmarked vehicles. Additionally, remaining funds will be distributed to support seven smaller local police departments throughout Suffolk County: Town of East Hampton (7 upfitted vehicles), Town of Riverhead (4 new marked vehicles), Village of Asharoken (2 new vehicle), Village of Head of the Harbor (2 new vehicles), Village of Northport (2 new vehicles), Village of Quogue (2 upfitted unmarked hybrid cruisers), and Village of Sag Harbor (3 upfitted vehicles). This multi-department approach ensures both the county's primary law enforcement agency and smaller municipal departments have the reliable vehicles necessary to protect their communities.

Suffolk County Sheriff's Office Fleet Enhancement Program – Funding will enable the acquisition of 8 marked and 8 unmarked law enforcement vehicles for the Sheriff's Office to effectively meet the increasing and complex demands of providing critical law enforcement services to Suffolk County residents. Consistent replacement of fleet vehicles reduces costly downtime and repair expenses while ensuring safe, cost-effective, and efficient delivery of law enforcement services. Modern, reliable vehicles are essential for the Sheriff's Office to execute its diverse mission across the county's vast geographic area.

Southold Town Police Department Vehicle Acquisitions – Funding will purchase 10 new Ford SUV police vehicles to patrol over 55 square miles of Southold Town, including Fishers Island, an island approximately 30 miles from the tip of the North Fork of Long Island. The department recently assumed law enforcement responsibility for Fishers Island, which lies just a few miles from the Connecticut shoreline, making these additional vehicles critical for maintaining adequate police presence and emergency response capabilities across the town's expanded jurisdiction.

Southampton Town Police Department Mobile Command Center Technology Upgrades – Funding will modernize the Southampton Police Department's 23-year-old mobile command unit van with cutting-edge dual-band radios, computers, cameras, dispatch equipment, and monitors. The upgraded mobile command post serves as a centralized operational hub during critical incidents, providing a secure space for command personnel to coordinate crisis response, conduct negotiations, and direct specialized units, including the emergency service unit, drone team, dive team, and counter-terrorism unit. This technology is particularly critical for managing mental health crises and coordinating complex multi-team operations in the rapidly expanding Southampton community.

Southold Town Police Department Radio Upgrades – This project will acquire 20 multi-band portable radios that will enable Town of Southold police officers to communicate seamlessly with all law enforcement departments across Suffolk County and with officers deployed to Fishers Island, nearly 30 miles offshore. The dual-band capability ensures officers can communicate on both the current VHF radio channel and the county-wide system, dramatically improving coordination during emergencies and routine patrols across the town's geographically challenging service area.

Water Main Installation for PFAS/PFOA-affected Calverton and Riverhead Homes – This project will install public water service to homes currently served by private wells contaminated with PFAS and PFOA due to groundwater pollution from the former Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant at Calverton (now known as EPCAL), once leased to Navy contractor Northrop Grumman. Over the past decade, the Navy has designated several new areas of concern and investigation sites, including one just west of the 10,000-foot runway where PFAS levels detected in groundwater were 100 times the Environmental Protection Agency's regional screening level of 4 parts per trillion. The contamination plume stretches southeast across the runway toward the Peconic River. As the federal government bears responsibility for this contamination, federal funding is appropriate to provide clean drinking water to affected residents through public water district extensions.

Town of Smithtown PFAS Contamination Water Main & Boundary Extension – This critical clean drinking water project will extend the Smithtown Water District's service area and distribution facilities to connect 26 single-family dwellings currently receiving drinking water from private wells contaminated with perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 1,4-dioxane, and volatile organic compounds. Testing revealed 1,4-dioxane levels reaching up to 2.59 parts per billion (ppb)—significantly exceeding New York State's drinking water standard of 1 ppb—along with concentrations of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) that surpassed state drinking water standards. These dangerous contaminant levels prompted state and county health departments to recommend residents not drink their well water. Connecting these homes to the public water supply is the most effective solution, as temporary measures like bottled water provision are inadequate for addressing the long-term health risks posed by these emerging contaminants.

Town of Brookhaven Miller Place-Sound Beach Drainage Project – This comprehensive storm drainage infrastructure project will address damage from Hurricane Ida in 2021, which caused severe flooding and damage to approximately 9,975 square feet of asphalt in the Woodhull Landing community, exposing leaching basins and undermining the drainage system. The project includes installing two diffusion wells in the new southwest quadrant recharge basin to enhance settling and leaching capacity; constructing a new recharge basin north of Rocky Point Road; replacing an outdated 24-inch drainage pipe with a more efficient 30-inch pipe to significantly reduce flooding; replacing deteriorating retaining walls and headwalls; restoring pavement; reconstructing revetment; replacing three damaged leaching basins; replacing damaged asphalt tip-up gutter; and replacing washed-away soil. While damaged roadways have been temporarily stabilized, this project will modernize the drainage infrastructure to improve flood resilience, prevent future storm damage, protect water quality and shoreline stability, enhance public safety, preserve property values, and protect natural habitats critical to New York's coastal ecosystem and economy.

St. James Sewer Treatment Plant Upgrade – Funding will upgrade a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that is over 50 years old and reaching the end of its design life. The existing facility has no excess capacity to accommodate the Lake Avenue area of St. James, as recommended by the Town of Smithtown for inclusion. A new, higher-capacity WWTP is proposed, with an engineering design report currently under review by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and contract bidding and SEQRA documents being prepared. Without this upgrade, the aging facility faces risks of allowing untreated wastewater to escape from process tanks or discharge to groundwater, which would pose serious health risks by contaminating drinking water for the nearby community. The rehabilitation will serve 674 units and allow connection of the Lake Avenue area, providing both environmental benefits and advancing regional planning efforts.

Kings Park Outfall Pipe Replacement – This project will replace an existing 24-inch diameter outfall pipe between two existing manholes. The current pipe is partially exposed, corroding, leaking, and passes through a beachfront area frequented by residents. The replacement outfall pipe will be designed and installed to match existing specifications, with new connections to existing manholes. A protective bulkhead will be installed to shield the pipe from tidal action and prevent further undermining. This work is essential to eliminate the public safety hazard posed by the deteriorating, exposed pipe and to prevent pipe failure in a publicly accessed recreational area.