LI Official Introduces Bill To Ensure Safe Drinking Water

SAYVILLE, NY — One lawmaker is introducing a bill to protect Long Islanders from exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals in drinking water.

Senator Alexis Weik (R-C, Sayville), announced on Tuesday that measure S.8878, would make it more affordable for homeowners to test their private water wells, to prevent consumption of harmful chemicals.

The bill is a response to a Newsday report that found alarming levels of “forever chemicals” like perflourinated compounds, known as PFAS, in some of the thousands of private wells that serve more than 200,000 Suffolk County residents, a press release said.

“'Forever chemicals’ like PFAS and other pollutants from our industrial and commercial past, have seeped into water supplies across New York and are the reason behind more stringent water quality standards for public water supplies,” said Weik. “But hundreds of thousands of Suffolk residents—and a smaller number in Nassau—don’t drink water from public supplies, and instead rely on private wells that draw from the same underground source — but aren’t subject to those standards."

According to one study cited by Newsday, some 200 million Americans are drinking water that
contains “forever chemicals,” because they do not break down in the natural environment.

Newsday also found that more than 200 private wells tested by Suffolk County between 2016 and 2022 were contaminated by chemicals in amounts exceeding New York’s state safety standards.

Under Weik’s bill, homeowners could use private labs to test their water and deduct the cost of the tests, up to $600, every three years, a press release said. County health officials would be notified of testing results so that they could develop plans to deal with emerging pollution threats.

“These chemicals are odorless and tasteless, but they can pose a serious threat to our health," said Senator Weik.

A new law recently signed by Governor Kathy Hochul directed the state health commissioner to set standards for an expanded list of emerging chemical contaminants in public drinking water supplies, but the state doesn’t set similar standards for private wells, a release said. Weik supported the emerging contaminants law, the release said.

"By encouraging testing of private wells, New Yorkers can make informed decisions that can protect their family’s health," said Weik.

Weik’s water testing bill was sent to the Senate’s budget and revenue committee.