Submitted by the Rensselaer County Department of Health
A seventh round of sampling of properties in Poestenkill for PFOA has been concluded, with three new properties found to have levels of PFOA above the state-permitted levels, County officials announced on Thursday, December 2.
The results were finalized Wednesday and prepared for public release. The seventh round of testing results follows a sixth round last month in which no new properties were found to be above the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).
Five properties were sampled during the seventh round of testing. Samples were conducted from sites located to the west of Algonquin Middle School. The five properties surveyed registered samples that show one non-detect and one detection of PFOA/PFOS below the state maximum contaminant level standards for public drinking water, along with the three over the MCL.
With the conclusion of the seventh round of testing, a source for the contamination has still not been discovered. The County and State have been investigating the possibility of multiple, unrelated sources for the contamination. The State recently started expanded testing in the area around the middle school.
The Town is also beginning work to develop a public water district in Poestenkill to cover areas affected by the PFOA situation.
“Even after seven rounds of testing, no source of the contamination has been determined. We are continuing to work with the State to find the source or sources for the PFOA contamination and to get more answers,” said county Public Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas.