Could Rockland County residents one day get their water from the lower Hudson river? United Water New York has proposed a plan to build a water purification plant on the Hudson and use purified water from the river to provide drinking water for the residents of Rockland county.

However, this plan has met with some resistance from environmental groups [1] such as the Rockland Sierra Club and the Stony Point Action Committee for the Environment who have voiced public health concerns, according to the Journal News [2].

United Water hopes to build a desalination plant on the Hudson River, in Stony Point.Hudson River water contains several pollutants, some of which are known to cause cancer, including pesticides, PCBs, strontium, sulphides and several other contaminants [3].

Before a plant is even built, United Water must prove that it can remove enough of the toxins and salts from the water for it to be safe for human consumption. United Water has a plan to run the water through carbon filters and reverse osmosis to remove the contaminants and salts from the water, but some believe that it will not be enough to be safe.

Instead of a new plant, some environmental groups are suggesting collection of storm water, rationing and controlled use of available water to help conserve the supply. The Rockland Coalition For Sustainable Water is proposing more conservation and environmentally friendly methods of collecting and distributing water before any construction permits are given to United Water.