Toxic water fear in upstate town

HEALTH OFFICIALS say residents in an upstate New York town are being offered free bottled water “out of an abundance of caution” after traces of a toxic industrial chemical was detected in the town’s water supply.

Perfluorooctonaoic acid, was found in the water supply of the Petersburgh, in Rensselaer County, the state Department of Health said. The chemical was used for decades in nonstick and stain-resistant coatings and hundreds of other products.

The level of the chemical is just below the threshold the federal Environmental Protection Agency set for nearby Hoosick Falls, the Health Department said. The EPA told residents in Hoosick Falls to stop drinking municipal water in December, more than a year after contamination was found.