System to filter PFOA out of town water goes online
PETERSBURGH, N.Y. >> A new filtration system that will remove a cancer- causing substance from the municipal water system is up and running.
State officials said Wednesday a full- capacity, granular-activated carbon treatment system is fully operational and is effectively removing perfluorooctanoic acid from the town’s water supply and providing clean drinking water to residents.
The state Department of Health has taken multiple samples throughout the distribution system and confirmed nondetectable levels of PFOA and other perfluorinated chemicals after a process that disinfected, pressure treated and flushed the new system.
“New York state is making a major investment in water protection to ensure we are confronting the threats posed to the environment by emerging contaminants like PFOA,” Basil Seggos, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said in a news release. “We will continue to aggressively investigate potential sites of perfluorinated chemical contamination and hold polluters accountable for their actions.”
Dangerously high levels of PFOA were found last spring in the town water supply and several private homes, a few months after similar contamination was identified in the nearby village of Hoosick Falls. The Taconic Plastics plant on Coon Brook Road was identified as the source of the contamination, and the company has been cooperating with local, county and state officials, agreeing to pay for installation of filters on both public and private systems that were affected and to provide bottled water for residents until their water is safe to drink.
“The town is pleased with the efforts put forth by the Governor’s Office, NYSDOH, NYSDEC, RCDOH and Taconic to address this water supply issue,” town Supervisor Alan Webster said.
Prior to the new filtration sys-
tem going fully online, the town dropped the water level in its storage tank to half capacity, allowing any remaining contaminated water to be f lushed out completely. Now that the state has verified non- detectable levels throughout the Petersburgh Water District, residents will start receiving instructions from the town on how to flush their internal plumbing.
PFOA had been used for decades in the manufacture of products such as non- stick cookware and electrical insulation before the federal Environmental Protection Agency
stepped in in 2006 and reached an agreement with several manufacturing giants, including DuPont Co., to virtually eliminate use of the substance. Chronic exposure to PFOA has been linked to testicular cancer, kidney cancer, thyroid disease, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis and pregnancy- induced hypertension. Studies suggest other possible health consequences, including a connection to pancreatic cancer.
“Assuring clean drinking water for all New Yorkers is a priority for the state,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a news release. “This new, full- capacity filtration system is another significant step forward in the state’s
ongoing commitment to protecting drinking water.”
A state hotline continues to provide information
to the public and is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays by calling 800-801-8092.