by Web Staff, originally posted on May 20, 2016

Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney spoke on Newburgh’s water issues Friday. It comes one day after the Environmental Protection Agency set new advisory levels for PFOS at 70 parts per trillion.

Washington Lake, a former water supply for Newburgh, has PFOS levels at more than twice that amount. The city is currently using Brown’s Pond as an alternate water source.

Maloney called the water issue serious.

“Until we know definitively what the source is, we can’t stop it,” Maloney said. “Until we stop it, we can’t get the primary water source cleaned up. We have a secondary water source that’s clean, but it’s running out. And it’s going to run out in a matter of weeks, which means we need a sustainable clean water source, and there are options out there, but they cost money.”

If Newburgh needs to use the Catskill Aqueduct for water, costs may reach more than $230,000 per month.