Putnam Chosen for Well Mitigation Rebate Program

By Holly Crocco

Putnam County has been chosen by the state to participate in a pilot program to address PFAS contamination in private wells.

“Water quality continues to be an area of focus for the department,” said Putnam Health Department Commissioner Rian Rodriguez at the Feb. 11 meeting of the County Legislature’s Health Committee. “Whenever we can participate in programs that may assist our residents with environmental concerns, we attempt to do so.”

The New York State Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Environmental Facilities Corporation are preparing to roll out a private well PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) testing and mitigation rebate pilot program this year. It will launch in a handful of counties considered to be at a higher risk for contamination to reduce exposure to private wells and communities that are more likely to be impacted, and assess the feasibility for a more comprehensive statewide program.

“We’ve been selected as one of those counties,” said Rodriguez, who explained that five other neighboring counties have also been chosen.

A total of $1.5 million in funding has been set aside for the program.

According to Brian Stevens, associate public health sanitarian for Putnam County, the program allows for private well testing, and if contamination exceed state standards, the homeowner is responsible for arranging for a whole-house treatment system to be installed, and may be reimbursed up to $5,000.

“If they can prove there isn’t room enough for a sizeable system and they just want to put it on the kitchen faucet, it’s $1,000,” Stevens said of the cap.

If there’s an option for a private well to connect to a community water system, it’s a $10,000 cap.

The homeowner is responsible for any ongoing testing and maintenance.

Stevens said the state is doing most of the “heavy lifting” with regard to the program. “Our part is basically on the back side, processing, doing the rebate paperwork, sending it up to the state, and then the fiscal side… doing that reimbursement,” he said.

Legislator Nancy Montgomery, D-Philipstown, chairwoman of the Health Committee, said she’s excited for the opportunity for homeowners with private wells.

“This doesn’t create any local taxpayer burden, and I thank you for going after it and I am really pleased that we’ve been awarded this,” she said. “It allows us to accept state funding for private well owners facing PFAS contamination. Many residents rely on private wells – if not most. This is an important public health and environmental protection measure.”

The program has not yet opened up for application, but is expected to within the first half of the year.

“We have a lot of lake communities, and many, many times the well and the septic are within 100 feet of each other,” said Legislator Toni Adonizzio, R-Kent, who is a real estate agent. “Those home are grandfathered in because there’s no room for them to move, so this would protect them.”

According to Stevens, once someone applies for testing, the state will allocate money – and will allocate as much as it can up to the full amount of the program..

“So once someone tests above the contaminate level, they’ll offer them treatment,” he said. “Then, they have six months to put on treatment. If they don’t, that money that was allocated will go back to the pool.”

Any Putnam County resident who has a private well is eligible to apply, as are public water supply transients like those living in an apartment above a small business.

“Right now, we regulate all the community water supplies and the non-transients like the big office plazas… So this touches the supplies that aren’t regulated,” said Stevens.

He said that if someone performs the testing but cannot afford to pay for treatment above and beyond the reimbursement, or pay for it upfront, there is no requirement for treatment to be added. In addition, results are not made public.

Legislator Laura Russo, R-Patterson, expressed support and excitement for the program.

“Thank you for getting out there and getting the program going,” she said.