The Columbia County Health Department says water supplies for the village of Valatie and New Lebanon High School have tested at PFOS levels above New York state’s maximum contaminant level. The county says a village well tested at a level of 14 parts per trillion, while the school’s was 13.
The maximum contaminant level is 10 parts per trillion, while the federal limit is 70. The county says the village well will be kept offline while village officials pursue a filtration option. New York state is requiring New Lebanon High School to provide water bottles for students while the district also pursues filtration. PFOS has been linked to a number of ill health effects. The increased PFOS levels were first discovered in late 2021.
For more, we spoke with Maggie McBroom, Columbia County environmental health director.