To our Greater Bohemia customers:
In regard to media reports regarding the potential designation of MacArthur Airport as a New York State Superfund site, we want to assure you that the Suffolk County Water Authority has filtration in place to address the contaminant of concern to the state and that your water is completely safe to drink.
However, we understand that no one ever wants to hear about a chemical of concern anywhere near your home, so we’ve scheduled a public meeting to answer any questions you may have about the chemical, perfluorooctane sulfonate, otherwise known as PFOS, or about any other aspect of your drinking water quality. The meeting will be held this coming Monday, February 5, at 6 p.m. at Connetquot Public Library, 760 Ocean Avenue, Bohemia.
The state action is being considered because the airport has in the past used and stored a firefighting foam that contains PFOS. Though there is currently no federal or state drinking water standard for PFOS, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2016 established a health advisory level of 70 parts per trillion for the compound, as animal studies have shown that exposure to PFOS over certain levels may cause various health issues.
We take great pride in the fact that our internal standards for water quality are more rigorous than state and federal regulations require, and that we voluntarily test for nearly 250 more chemicals—including PFOS—than required by law. You are welcome to join us at Monday’s meeting for additional information or to ask our water quality experts any questions.
A Suffolk County Water Authority GAC filter.