Read the full article by Tim Gannon (Riverhead News-Review)
“Riverhead Town’s water district will publish a ‘deferral notice’ indicating that the presence of PFOS and PFOA at levels below the maximum New York State standard for drinking water at one of its plants.
The finding applies to Plant 5, which is on the north side of Middle Road and just east of Northville Turnpike.
Water District Superintendent Frank Mancini said that while the levels have not exceeded state drinking water guidelines, they are close.
There are two wells at Plant 5, and one has shown PFOA/PFOS levels at about 9 or 10 parts per trillion, while the other has just ‘trace amounts,’ Mr. Mancini said.
The district has been blending the two to produce water well under the limits.
It had started blending due to the presence of manganese, and by coincidence, the same well had PFAS as well, Mr. Mancini said.
When a public water system is issued a deferral, the water system agrees to a schedule for corrective action and compliance with the new maximum contaminant level. In exchange, the state health department agrees to defer enforcement actions, such as assessing fines, if the water system is meeting the established deadlines.
Without the deferral notice, if readings came in above state guidelines, he might have to remove the plant from service while a remedy is worked on, he said…”