PFAS Updates
This page contains the latest information about the Town of North Castle government's PFOA response.
Last updated March 6, 2023
This webpage aims to further structure information aimed at North Castle residents who are on public water supplies within Water District No. 2 and Water District No. 4 and residents who own a private well. Future updates and corrective action plan progress will also be provided via the Town Administrator’s newsletter, the Town Website, and various outreach platforms.
If You Are In a North Castle Public Water Supply
As many of you may know, levels of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) were detected in certain municipal water system wells from North Castle’s Water District No. 2 (Windmill Farm) and Water District No. 4 (Downtown Armonk) which slightly exceeded New York State’s maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per trillion. Please note: not all of the supply wells are in exceedance.
Since the detection of PFOA, proactive measures have been taken to remediate the issue at hand within the timeframe of 120 days as established by the Department of Health. The Town has entered into agreements with Langan Engineering for the remediation of the wells affected in Water District No. 2 and WSP USA, Inc. for the remediation of the affected wells in Water District No. 4.
The Town of North Castle’s corrective action plan related to PFOA remediation for Water District No. 2 and Water District No. 4 are easily and readily accessible via the Town’s PFOA and PFOS Information webpage of the Town’s website.Currently, the Town has authorized WSP USA, Inc. to move forward with the design for the corrective action plan acknowledged by the Health Department as an acceptable method for PFOA treatment.
On March 1, 2023, the Town hosted a PFAS Information Public Meeting. Panelists from the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Westchester Department of Health, Langan Engnineers, and the Town's Director of Water and Sewer participated in a Question and Answer session. The recording of the meeting is available for viewing.
At the December 14, 2022 Town Board meeting, the members of the Town Board voted to proceed with an amendment to the design proposal to treat and to reduce concentrations of PFOA at Water District No. 2. This proposal was made by Langan Engineering. The memo and the proposal regarding amendment to the agreement with Langan Engineering for Consulting Services in Water District No. 2 related to Windmill Wells PFOA treatment is available for download.
Town residents who are municipal water system customers can be assured the water districts are regularly monitoring and reporting contaminant levels in the water supply wells as the Town works to remediate this issue. Our goal is to be in full compliance with New York State’s Department of Health maximum contaminant level (NYDOH MCL) requirements. It is worth noting that the current PFAS levels in these public water systems do not represent an immediate health risk as per the NYSDOH, and the water supplied via public systems continue to be acceptable for all uses as the water systems work to reduce levels.
Additional information regarding water quality in specific Water Districts can be found in the Annual Water Quality Reports which are posted yearly in the Water and Sewer section of the Town’s Website. NYSDOH maintains a Public Water Website.
If You Have a Private Well Supply
The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has hosted an Availability Session for citizens who are private well owners and are in an area of interest adjacent to the WGC Labriola Landfill. The availability session provided information relating to PFOA. A Community Update Newsletter is available for download and further information can be found in the DEC’s webpage.
Given that private wells are not monitored by a certified water operator, the State has addressed contaminated private wells by offering alternate water supplies to affected property owners in the form of bottled water or the installation of a Point of Entry Treatment (POET) System. NYSDOH maintains a Private Well Website with information on well testing, maintenance, and treatment options.
Private well owners who wish to determine if their property is located within an area of interest and are eligible for sampling can email the DEC’s environmental consultant at NorthCastleWellSampling@gmail.com. In addition, private well owners with questions related to the provision of alternate water supply such as bottled water, POET systems or public water supply connections can contact David Chiusano, Project Manager via telephone 518-402-7884 or email at David.Chiusano@dec.ny.gov.
Private well owners outside the areas of interest who are seeking to have water treatment installed on their own can be provided with the contact information below for the following regional contractors that have recently provided NYSDEC with bids to install Point-of-Entry-Treatment Systems in your general area of NYS:
· Ideal Water LLC; (845) 227-2200, https://www.idealh2o.com/
· Professional Water Systems; (203) 431-6897, https://professionalwatersystems.com/
· Westfair Water Systems; (914) 241-2261, https://www.westfairwater.com/
Town residents with questions or concerns are invited to contact Sal Misiti, Director of Water and Sewer via email at smisiti@northcastleny.com or telephone at 914-273-3000 ext. 55. In addition, you can also contact Kevin Hay, Town Administrator via email at khay@northcastleny.com or telephone at 914-273-3000 ext. 52.
Useful Information Provided by the NYSDOH
- Public Water Supplier Fact Sheet (PDF)
- In-Home Water Filtration Options (PDF)
- PFAS and Private Wells (PDF)