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New York American Water Receives Deferral from State As Company Pursues Treatment for Emerging Compounds - Dykeer

Treatment Improvements for Dykeer Operations

Dykeer, NY (January 29, 2021)—New York American Water (NYAW) has received a compliance deferral from the New York State Department of Health as the company pursues treatment for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) at its Dykeer Operations District. The compliance deferral is an agreement between NYAW and the Department of Health on a schedule and approach to install treatment improvements to meet new drinking water regulations. This deferral is only available to water providers who have an approved action plan for addressing the new regulations. On August 26, 2020, the New York State Department of Health finalized regulations establishing Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for 1,4-Dioxane at 1 part per billion (ppb) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) at 10 parts per trillion (ppt).

 

“New York American Water began developing the required treatment systems to combat PFOA and PFOS well before the State’s new regulations were finalized,” said New York American Water Director of Engineering John Kilpatrick. “The Granular Activated Carbon treatment system that will be constructed at our Dykeer system will allow us to meet New York State’s new regulations, which are some of the strictest in the country.”

 

According to the New York State Department of Health, “The MCLs are set well below levels known to cause health effects in animal studies. Therefore, consuming water with PFOA or PFOS at the level detected does not pose a significant health risk. Your water continues to be acceptable for all uses.”

 

NYAW’s water quality testing showed PFOA and PFOS levels in the groundwater wells at Dykeer at 18.0 and 18.5 ppt, which are well under the EPA’s required action level of 70 parts per trillion, but now above the new MCL of 10 ppt established by the state. 1,4-Dioxane was non-detect in the Dykeer system.

 

PFOA and PFOS are effectively removed from drinking water using Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) treatment. Large vessels are filled with activated carbon which attracts the contaminants as water passes through it. These vessels, which work very similar to your household carbon filter, hold approximately 2,350 pounds of carbon and are sampled frequently to ensure the systems are operating as expected.

 

Residents interested in learning more about these emerging compounds, please visit www.nyamwater.com/emergingcompounds. To read the official notice from the Department of Health about the compliance deferral, please visit www.nyamwater.com/emergingcompounds/dykeer.

 

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New York American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water company in New York, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 350,000 people. For more information, visit www.newyorkamwater.com and follow New York American Water on Twitter and Facebook.