TOWN OF NEWBURGH – The Department of Environmental Conservation will spend up to $2.7 million connecting to municipal water systems some Town of Newburgh and New Windsor properties whose wells are poisoned by the same toxic chemical that shut down the City of Newburgh’s main water supply.
At least 10 properties in the Town of Newburgh will get municipal water connections because their wells are contaminated with perfluorooctane sulfonate, and a related chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid, that are tied to the use of firefighting foams at Stewart Air National Guard Base.
The chemicals, also known as PFOS and PFOA, are associated with kidney and testicular cancers, birth defects, ulcerative colitis and other health problems.
An agreement with the Town of Newburgh was approved in mid-October.
The City of Newburgh shut down Washington Lake, its main drinking and cooking water supply, in May 2016 due to levels of PFOS.
Contamination levels ranged from 2 parts per trillion to 34 parts per trillion.
Federal health advisory guidelines for PFOS and PFOA were lowered last year to 70 ppt.
The required public hearing will be held on Nov. 27 at Town Hall.
The next step is to advertise the project to interested contractors and select from among the bidders, Supervisor Gil Piaquadio said.
Thomas Coranas III owns two of the five affected properties on Coranas Lane, which was carved from farmland belonging to his family.