Homeowners Near Westhampton Air Base Plan To Sue Suffolk County Over Drinking Water Contamination.
Those tests have always come back negative—which made it all the more surprising when they were contacted in July by Suffolk County officials who wanted to test their well water for two new chemicals, perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS, and perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA.
In December, the Suffolk County Water Authority finished hooking up their home to public water at no cost.
“I had heard inklings of possible contamination at the base years ago,” Mr. Green said this week.
The contamination was announced in July when Suffolk County officials said they had detected both chemicals in testing wells at Gabreski Airport.
At the time, Suffolk Health Department officials tested the wells at 69 private homes and said they discovered contamination in eight, with levels ranging from 0.086 ppb to 1.88 ppb.
That raises additional concerns for local residents, like the Greens, who have likely been drinking contaminated water for decades.
Elizabeth and Jerome Liggon, who owned a home on Peter’s Lane on Quiogue for 10 years, said this week that they feared there were issues with their water for years, citing the high number of their neighbors who would complain about various illnesses.
According to Mr. Lanciotti, Suffolk County is currently reviewing all of the notices of claim and has requested a hearing with each individual plaintiff to review their charges and evidence filed against the county.
After the hearings are finished, Mr. Lanciotti said the county will have a chance to respond to the claims.