IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATERPFOA MCL Exceedance at the Village of Sands Point Water System
Why are you receiving this notice/information?
You are receiving this notice because testing of our public water system found the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in your drinking water at an average of 12.7 parts per trillion (ppt) in March and April 2024. This is above New York State’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 ppt for PFOA in public drinking water systems. Your water continues to be acceptable for all uses. The Sands Point Water Department is working on a strict timetable to reduce levels below the MCL.
What are the health effects of PFOA?
The available information on the health effects associated with PFOA, like many chemicals, comes mostly from studies of high-level exposure in animals. Less is known about the chances of health effects occurring from lower levels of exposure, such as those that might occur in drinking water. As a result, finding lower levels of chemicals in drinking water prompts water suppliers and regulators to take precautions that include notifying consumers and steps to reduce exposure.
PFOA has caused a wide range of health effects when studied in animals that were exposed to high levels. The most consistent findings in animals were effects on the liver and immune system and impaired fetal growth and development. PFOA also causes cancer in laboratory animals exposed to high levels over their lifetimes. Additional studies of exposures of PFOA in people provide evidence that some of the health effects seen in animals may also occur in humans.
What is New York State doing about PFOA in public drinking water?
The New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) has adopted a drinking water regulation that requires all public water systems to test for PFOA. If found above the MCL of 10 ppt, the water supplier must take steps to lower the level to meet the standard. Exceedances of the MCL signal that steps should be taken by the water system to reduce contaminant levels.
What is being done to meet the MCL?
The Sands Point Water Department is working with the Nassau County Department of Health on a compliance schedule that includes steps to reduce levels of PFOA.
All current and recent samples have shown levels below the current MCL of 10 ppt. A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment plant is being implemented on Tibbits Lane for Wells 2 and 5 to completely remove PFOA. This plant will be operation before the end of 2024. Both wells have been sampled three times since April 2024, as required, and all samples show PFOA results below the MCL of 10 ppt.
Additional information will be shared as further testing and progress occurs. This process is similar for any chemical detected in public drinking water that requires mitigation due to exceedance of an MCL. The compliance timetable will ensure that your drinking water will meet the MCL as rapidly as possible.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, please contact Sands Point Water Department at (516) 883-3491 26 Tibbits Lane Sans Point, NY. You can also contact the Nassau County Department of Health at (516) 227-9692.
If you have additional questions about these contaminants and your health, talk to your health care provider who is most familiar with your health history and can provide advice and assistance about understanding how drinking water may affect your personal health.
General information about New York State public drinking water is also available at www.health.ny.gov/publicwater.
Public Water System ID# NY2902852
Date 09-27-24
Fall 2024 Water report from the Supt of Public Works of the Village of Sands Point–Christian DiMartino
Overview: As the prime pumping season comes to its end the Village will have pumped nearly 330 million gallons of water this past season.
GAC for 2a and 5a
What is the status of the Village’s water distribution system? Progress continues on the Granular Activated Carbon filtration system (“GAC”) for wells 2A & 5A to remove PFAS/PFOA to below detectable levels. We hope to have this GAC operational by December of 2024.
Meanwhile, the Village is required to sample for these chemicals every quarter. In the first quarter the samples averaged 12.7 PPT (“Parts Per Trillion”), which is above the standard limits of 10 PPT. This is the first time we have ever exceeded the NYS limits.
The good news is that despite that temporary rise in detection of those chemicals, the wells were resampled with results ranging between “undetectable” and a high of 8.0 PPT. To clarify, that means that the sampling came back under the NYS 10.0 PPT limit. Some testing even returned “undetectable”.
Like much of Long Island's water source that has been affected by these “forever chemicals”, the Village continues to take a proactive action to protect its wells. In addition to the aforementioned GAC, the VIllage is awaiting Nassau County Department of Health (“NCDOH”) design approval for another GAC plant to serve wells #3 and #4 on Thayer Lane.
Even though the levels of PFAS/PFOA have come back down below prescribed limits, we are required to send the attached notice to all residents.
Well 9
This is the Villages newest well that was recently approved. Our engineers continue to work on the engineering for this well. This well will add to the overall availability of water to pump and allow us to reduce pumpage on the Village’s other wells.
Water Dept HQ & Standby Generator
The Water Dept headquarters on Governor’s Lane is in its final stages of construction to address the much needed repairs and updating. The new generator, expected to arrive on site later this fall, will be installed over this winter. This generator will handle the backup electrical loads for all of the building, wells, filtration systems, tanks, etc… at the Governors Lane site. Previously, the backup generator had only very limited backup capacity.
Christian DiMartino
Superintendent of Public Works
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