Trace Of Mothballs Chemical Found In State Agencies’ Water

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — State employees working in the Albany office building that's the tallest in upstate New York are drinking bottled water after a chemical used in mothballs was detected in water samples.

The Office of General Services says trace amounts of naphthalene were found in samples taken from faucets inside the 44-floor Corning Tower, located on the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany.

OGS, headquartered in the tower along with the health department, says the amounts were well below the state and federal drinking water standard for naphthalene.

The tests were conducted Friday after workers complained the water from sinks and fountains was cloudy and had an odor.

OGS is supplying bottled water for workers.

The agency says it's looking into whether work being done on several water tanks led to the problem.