Overview

This site has been developed in an ongoing effort to keep the community informed on the situation with the discovery of the unregulated contaminant Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in the municipal water system. Much has occured since the discovery of PFOA in the water in August of 2014:

• A bottled water campaign that ran from late 2015 into 2017
• The installation of a temporary GAC filtration system (2016)
• The installation of the permanent GAC Filtration system (successfully operating since early 2017 and a part of our permanent water treatment plant)
• The announcement of an alternate water supply
• The Record of Decision that identified the future new water source as a new groundwater source 1.25 miles southwest of the Village's current wells
• The design (2023) and construction (2024) of the infrastructure that will connect the new water source to the Village

The Village expected the new water source to be online and active in early 2025.

PFAS Filtration using the GAC Lead-Lag System

Our Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration system uses the "lead-lag" method. Once water is treated through the normal processes of the Village's Water Treatment Plant, it then runs through the two vessels of the GAC system: the "lead" vessel (the first tank where Village water is filtered) and the "lag" vessel (the second tank where the same filtration occurs). Regular sampling of our system occurs at several points: the "influent" (prior to the water entering the first part of the GAC system), the "midfluent" (water that has run through the lead/first tank before it enters the lag/second tank), and the "effluent" (finished water that has run through both GAC tanks). These sampling results are available here.

When any type of PFAS is detected at the midfluent, the process begins to refresh the filtration tank. This is called a "carbon change-out". The "lead" vessel is turned off, meaning that for a short time, water is filtered only by the "lag" vessel, which has just begun capturing the PFAS that has broken through the first vessel. That means that the "lag" vessel becomes the new "lead" vessel. During this time, the spent carbon from the vessel that is turnedn off is changed out and fresh carbon is brought in. Once the carbon change-out is complete, this newly-refreshed vessel is brought back into the filtration system as the new "lag" vessel.

As the carbon change-out approaches and is completed, additional sampling is performed at specific locations in the lag vessel: the 25%, 50%, and 75% points. This shows how far through the filtration system the PFAS compounds are progressing. All of these procedures and processes have allowed the Village to successfully filter out any PFAS compound that we can test for, producing finished water without PFAS compounds since n early 2017.

Notice - Failure to timely submit water supply emergency plans

On June 10th, 2024 the Village posted a notice of violation as required by the New York State Sanitary Code and the New York State Department of Health a public notice to inform the community of a second violation. This noticestems from the Village not submitting an updated water supply emergency plan. The Village received the initial vilation in October of 2023. Despite the Village updating this emergency plan with the help of Delaware Engineering, the Village failed to update NYSDOH in a timely manner. Because the Village was given a second violation, we are required to issue this public notice to inform the community of the second violation. This is separate from and unrelated to the new water supply that is currently under construction and set to be completed at the end of 2024. The Village has already made plans to update their water supply emergency plans to reflect the new water source in early 2025.

The text of the notice is as follows:

Our water system recently violated a drinking water requirement. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right ot know what happened, what you should do, and what we are doing to correct this situation.

The New York State Sanitary Code requires certain water systems to develop and keep up to date water supply emergency plans. These plans must be submitted to the New York State Department of Health for review and approval. Our water system was issued a violation in October 2023 for not meeting these water supply emergency plan requirements. Our system did not take the required corrective actions requred by the New York State Department of Health and was issued a second violation as a result. We are required to issue this public notification to inform you of the second violation.

What should I do? There is nothing you need to do. You do not need to boil your water or take any other corrective actions. You may continue to drinkg the water. If a situation arisees where the water is no longer safe to drink, you will be notified within 24 hours.

What does this mean? This is not an emergency. If it had been an emergency, you would have been notified within 24 hours.

What is being done? The Village of Hoosick Falls was issued a NYSDOH violation for not getting the updated emergency response plan to the department within the mandated 60 days from the initial notice of violation which was dated October 11th 2023. Because of this we were issued a Tier 2 notification of the treatment technique for the failure to correct a significant deficiency as directed. The updated ERP has been submitted to local and state health depts.

For more information, please contact Mayor Rob Allen at 518-686-7072 or Water Supt. Jim Hurlburt at 518-686-0200.