DEC and DOH Announce Agreement to Install Water Filtration System for Public Water System in Town of Petersburgh

At the direction of Governor Cuomo, the Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health reached an agreement with Taconic Plastics, Inc. to install a carbon water filtration system for the Town of Petersburgh water supply to address perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) contamination, the agencies announced today. After initial tests by the state detected PFOA levels in the Town water supply just below the EPA guidance levels, DEC and DOH took immediate action to work with the Town, Rensselaer County and company to address the contamination and began supplying bottled water to all town residents. As subsequent tests have detected PFOA levels just above the EPA guidance levels, all parties agree that a carbon system is necessary.

DEC Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Through the Governor's leadership, we have secured this commitment from Taconic plastics to install a carbon filtration system that would provide clean drinking water to residents in Petersburgh. We will continue to work quickly to conduct further tests to determine the extent of contamination in the Town, and develop necessary actions to address the contamination."

NYS Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said, "We are working aggressively to resolve this issue and ensure a long-term solution for the residents of Petersburgh. We will continue to test water samples and provide residents with the most up-to-date information, as we move towards a carbon filtration system for the Town's water supply."

Planning on the filtration system will begin immediately and Taconic has agreed to pay for the planning, installation and maintenance of the system. While the installation of the treatment system advances, free bottled water will continue to be provided to residents, and residents on the Town's water supply are reminded to refrain from drinking or cooking with the Town water.