New York State Announces Additional Progress in Addressing PFOA Contamination

Repeated Testing of Municipal Water Treatment System Shows PFOA at Non-Detectable Levels

7 of 10 Samples Across Village Distribution System Show Non-Detectable Levels of PFOA (less than 2 ppt); Other 3 Samples All Under 5 ppt Expands PFOA Testing to Include Farms, Gardens and Various other Sites Results Received for Additional 188 Residential Wells; 441 Water Filtration Systems Installed

The New York State Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation today announced their weekly progress in testing water samples, installing point-of-entry water filtration systems, and providing residents with safe drinking water at their tap.

Municipal Filtration System

As Governor Cuomo announced during his visit to Hoosick Falls, the municipal water treatment system is functioning properly and sampling shows it is removing PFOA to non-detectable levels. The municipal filtration system consists of two granular activated carbon filters, and water runs through both filters before entering the village distribution system. Water is sampled after it runs through the first filter, and again after the second filter. Samples taken after the first filter show non-detectable levels of PFOA, even before the water is treated a second time. DOH has conducted seven tests on 3/9, 3/11, 3/14, 3/15, 3/18, 3/19, and 3/20 -- and they all resulted in non-detect levels of PFOA, showing that the system is fully operational.

Over the last week, numerous rounds of flushing have been completed throughout the distribution system. This week, ten samples were taken from different areas throughout the village distribution system. Seven of those samples showed non-detectable levels of PFOA (less than 2 ppt) while three samples showed levels of 4.10 ppt, 3.77 ppt, and 2.12 ppt. Below are the results.

State Expands Soil Sampling

As part of its Superfund investigation, DEC began sampling soil upon starting the aggressive Superfund investigation to determine the extent of contamination and as part of DEC's investigation into illegal dumping in the Hoosick Falls area. DEC will expand soil sampling in the Hoosick Falls area, in conjunction with DOH and the state Department of Agriculture and Markets, to evaluate the potential for exposure from soils that may have been impacted by contaminated water. As part of the State's Superfund investigation, additional sampling will include certain agricultural lands, gardens and other sites.

Residential Filtration Systems

Additionally, DEC continues the installation of point-of-entry treatment (POET) filtration systems for homes with private wells, with a total of 441 installed to date. DEC has received 768 requests for POETs, with 112 requests over the past week, and performed 681 pre-evaluations, which are necessary prior to system installation. Of those, 112 pre-evaluations were completed over the past week.

This Week's Sampling Results

Of the 188 water test results received by DOH since March 11, nearly all -- 179 --were less than the EPA Advisory level of 100 part per trillion (ppt) and nine had levels of PFOA at or above the EPA Advisory level of 100 ppt. Of the 179 under the EPA Advisory of 100 ppt, 102 have non-detectable PFOA levels (less than 2 ppt) and 77 have levels between 2 and 100 ppt.

DEC Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Through Governor Cuomo's ongoing leadership, DEC continues to make significant progress in our operation to provide drinking water to residents in the Hoosick Falls area. Our dedicated staff from all across the state are working tirelessly to install water filtration systems on private homes, advance a study on an alternate water supply, and continue our investigation into the contamination in the area."

DOH Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, "DOH staff continue to provide ongoing assistance to residents in Hoosick and Hoosick Falls. More than 900 water samples have been taken throughout the area, our hotline has fielded nearly 900 calls from people seeking information about PFOA. Governor Cuomo has provide both DEC and DOH with the support and resources we need to address and resolve this problem."

To Learn More

Staff from both DOH and DEC have been holding informational sessions every Tuesday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.), Thursday (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.), and Saturday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), to help residents. More information is available by calling the Hoosick Falls water hotline at: 800-801-8092 (Monday - Friday: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.).