New York State Health Department Commissioner Howard Zucker has accepted the State Drinking Water Quality Council’s recommendations for maximum contaminant levels in drinking water for PFOA, PFOS, and 1,4-dioxane, which have been found in water deemed potable. Dr. Zucker has directed his department to begin the regulatory process for adopting these standards.
In response to the increasing threat of contaminants in drinking water across the state, the water quality council was created in the 2017-18 state budget and tasked with recommending maximum contaminant levels to the Health Department. Late last year, the council voted to recommend maximum contaminant levels of 10 parts per trillion for PFOA, 10 p.p.t. for PFOS, and a maximum contaminant level of 1 part per billion for 1,4-dioxane.
PFOA is a chemical that has been used to make non-stick, stain-resistant, and water-repellent products. PFOS is a chemical that has been used in firefighting foam. 1,4-dioxane is a chemical that has been used as a stabilizer in solvents, paint strippers, greases, and wax.
“All over the state, the emergence of these contaminants in our drinking water supply and their harmful effects are becoming an increasingly prevalent, and unacceptable, reality,” Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. said in a November letter to Dr. Zucker, adding that “seven locations are currently being impacted by PFOS and PFOA within my Assembly district alone,” including Wainscott, Sagaponack, Hampton Bays, East Quogue, and Westhampton Beach. “It is undeniable that these contaminants can have significant public health consequences and have been linked to several potentially life-threatening conditions.”
Mr. Thiele called for action again last month, signing onto Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee’s letter to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Dr. Zucker urging them to move forward on protecting drinking water from harmful emerging contaminants.
The newly accepted levels are the most protective in the nation, Mr. Thiele said. The standard for 1,4-dioxane is the nation’s first-ever level set for that contaminant. Once adopted, the state’s Environmental Facilities Corporation and the Department of Environmental Conservation will coordinate with the Health Department to help fund and remediate water systems that test above the new maximum contaminant levels