High PFOA levels found in 3 wells
Rensselaer County officials suspect multiple sources
Three more residential wells have tested above the state level for PFOA/PFOS in the early results of the third round of testing and there may be multiple sources of contamination, Rensselaer County officials said Thursday.
“The county continues to test residences and properties on a voluntary basis and is providing this information as quickly as possible to the public. We can report that testing has yet to reveal a source for the contamination, and we are in fact reviewing whether there are multiple sources involved in the Poestenkill situation,” county Public Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas said.
“We continue to test to determine a source and to get additional answers for residents,” added Wachunas.
The newest results bring to seven the number of residences exceeding the state level of 10 parts per trillion for PFOA/PFOS. The positive results were between 10 ppt and 20 ppt. The county has test results from 27 sites and only tests wells where the property owners volunteer to take part.
The county is waiting for the test results from the remaining 24 samples taken during the third round, which was conducted north and east of the Algonquin Middle School.
Any residence where a well tests above the state contamination limit is placed on bottled water until a filtration system is installed.
The county is testing for PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid). PFOS has been used in stainresistant fabrics, firefighting foams, food packaging and other processes.
PFOAS have been a serious issue in Rensselaer County since 2014 when municipal water supplies and private wells were found to have been contaminated by the substances that could be traced to large manufacturing facilities in Hoosick, Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh. The Poestenkill results have been far below the levels recorded in the northeastern section of the county.
The issue arose in Poestenkill after the Averill Park Central School District discovered the wells at Algonquin Middle School were contaminated after the district conducted state required testing in January.
The county Health Department has been working with the town, the state Department of Health and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
“Residents should know the county continues to work cooperatively with the state and the town to provide an effective response to this issue. Residents can call our office at 518-270-2632 if they have additional questions,” Wachunas said.