Scheduled to meet for the first time Oct. 2, the council will address a range of emerging water quality issues.
New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sept. 22 announced his eight appointees to the 12-member Drinking Water Quality Council that will guide New York’s actions to ensure all communities across the state have access to clean drinking water. Scheduled to meet for the first time Oct. 2, the council will address a range of emerging water quality issues and solicit outside industry experts, as well. Its first task will be to make recommendations to establish enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for three priority emerging contaminants, which are not regulated by the federal government, that have been found in New York: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and 1,4-dioxane.
A second meeting of the council will happen later this year.
"Using the best available science and tapping an array of experts, this new council will provide science-based recommendations for the development of regulations to assure that good-quality drinking water remains available to all New Yorkers. Water quality is a national issue that requires consistent national standards, but New York can no longer afford to wait."