Water Quality Advisory Issued For Some Private Well Owners On LI

CALVERTON, NY — A water quality advisory has been issued for private well owners in a section of Calverton, the Suffolk County Department of Health Services said Wednesday.

The SCDHS said it will be conducting a private well survey in an area of Calverton south of the Peconic River along portions of South River Road and Pinehurst Boulevard north of Nugent Drive. The county health department would like to sample private wells in the area at no charge to residents, the SCDHS said.

The announcement follows the detection of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid, or PFOS, above the New York State drinking water standard in 13 wells in the neighborhood, county officials said. In instances where detections exceed the drinking water standards, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation offers residents an alternative source of drinking water, officials added.

PFOS and a related chemical, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, are part of a class of chemicals known as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

According to the SCDHS, PFAS have been used in a number of industrial and commercial products such as firefighting foam, as well as in coatings that repel water, oil, stains and grease, such as food packaging, water-resistant clothing and stain-resistant carpeting.

Individuals may be exposed to PFOS and PFOA through air, water, or soil from industrial sources and from consumer products, officials said.

The New York State Department of Health established a drinking water standard for public water supplies, known as a maximum contaminant level, or MCL, for PFOS and PFOA in August, 2020. The MCLs for PFOS and PFOA are both set at 10 parts per trillion, officials said.

Homes connected to a public water supply do not need to have their water tested, as the public water supply is regulated by the health department and routinely checked. Recent monitoring has shown that the public water supply in this area does not exceed state PFOS and PFOA drinking water standards, the SCDHS said.

Twenty-one of the estimated 39 properties that are served by private wells in the existing survey area have already been sampled free of charge; SCDHS will be expanding the survey area to include approximately 25 additional properties, officials said.

Residents of that area served by a private well that has not recently been sampled are urged to contact the SCDHS Office of Water Resources at 631-852-5810 to have their private wells tested free of charge. The analysis for PFAS will be conducted by a New York State DEC contract laboratory. The SCDHS Public and Environmental Health Laboratory is conducting the analysis of private well samples for standard chemical constituents such as chlorinated VOCs, and metals, as well as 1,4 dioxane, officials said.

The source of the PFAS contamination in the area has not yet been identified, the SCDHS said, adding that they have installed groundwater monitoring wells to assist in identifying a potential PFAS source area. The NYSDEC is providing analytical support for the PFAS analysis, officials said.

The New York State Department of Health has said that drinking or cooking is the primary exposure concern for PFAS in household tap water. Bathing and showering are not expected to be a concern even if PFAS are present in the water supply, officials said.

Residents with general questions about health effects of PFAS are advised to call the New York State Department of Health at 518-402-7950 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Residents who have questions about private well water in Suffolk County may contact the SCDHS Office of Water Resources at 631-852-5810.