With the reservoir on Valley View Road in the background, Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi announced findings by his office from a national report that studied public water from zip codes across the country.

What Brindisi learned from the report was that in the Mohawk Valley the level of cancer causing carcinogens is much higher than the National average, especially in New York State, he said. When asked if the Mohawk Valley Water Authority received the same report Brindisi said, "they learned of the study from us."

The Mohawk Valley Water Authority has recently entered into an agreement with SUEZ North America to handle the purification of their customers water supply. Brindisi says, the reason this issue hasn't been addressed is due to the fact the levels of carcinogens indicated by the study are well within the state's current acceptable levels. Therefore, Brindisi has penned a letter to leadership at the DEC and EPA. The letter reads,

Dear Commissioner Seggos:

I am writing to you regarding the release of a database by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a not for profit public policy group focusing on the quality of drinking water in New York State.

While I am not an expert in the field of water quality, I am concerned that test results from 2015 of water in the Mohawk Valley Water Authority (MVWA) system revealed levels of four carcinogens or potential carcinogens at higher than state or national averages—and at much higher levels than some public health agencies recommend. Particularly concerning is the level of 48.5 parts per billion for chloroform—which was well above the state average of 11.2 ppb, and the federal average of 16.4 ppb.

The MVWA has recently entered into a five year contract with SUEZ North America to operate its water treatment plant. I believe it would be very valuable to conduct independent tests of the water its customers are using as a benchmark for this new entity, which has been tasked with operating water treatment for the authority.

Also, I would encourage you to do everything possible to encourage public water systems to regularly issue clear and concise reports that present an accurate view of the quality of their water.

I believe the public deserves answers concerning the quality of the water they use on a daily basis, and providing clarity on this issue is warranted, following the creation of this new database on water quality. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Anthony Brindisi

With the announcement Brindisi does not want to alarm constituents, he says, however he has concerns. He's hoping for the independent study to encourage a correction to the purification system that produces these carcinogens and that SUEZ North America and the MVWA be more transparent when it comes to the water they supply to people of the Mohawk Valley.

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