A temporary filtration system is now operating to address the water contamination in the Rensselaer County village of Hoosick Falls.
The temporary system has been placed on the Hoosick Falls public water supply to filter out the chemical perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA. The chemical has been traced back to an industrial facility on McCaffrey Street, most recently used by Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics. The company is paying for the system and a permanent fix.
Because of the contamination, residents have been advised by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to refrain from drinking or cooking with water from the public supply.
Village residents are asked to continue using bottled water until further notice. Mayor David Borge thanked operators of the water treatment plant for their quick work and said it will likely take "another few weeks" for the State Department of Health to determine whether the system is working properly.
A schedule for flushing activities will be released once the system obtains necessary approvals.
