The NY Public Interest Research Group has just completed a review of all the drinking water in New York State, and the Long Island region was by far the worst! Some of the contaminants exceeded the federal health advisory levels, although they did not conclude the health risks of each contaminant. If we leave it to this administration’s EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), they will probably adjust the federal health advisory levels so that we look like we are in compliance, even though our water is contaminated!

 

There is also a new category called “emerging contaminants” which includes industrial chemicals from spills, wastewater, and components in personal-care products, like shampoo, detergent, and micro-beads. These contaminants either weren’t known about in the past, or weren’t detectable with the older, available science, but now they can screen for them. Long Island’s drinking water comes from aquifers below the ground, as opposed to NYC drinking water which comes from an upstate reservoir. The bottom line is that everything we do effects our water, from the fertilizers we use to the personal care products. Check out LIWater.org for more information on what you can do, and read this article in Newsday for more details on the report.