Officials Assure Islip Residents Water Near Contaminated Sites Is Safe
HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) --The Suffolk County Water Authority wants to assure residents in the Town of Islip, where a number of alleged contaminated dumping sites were recently discovered, that the water is safe to drink and bathe in.
Jim Gaughran, chairperson of the Suffolk County Water Authority, said Tuesday it takes a long time for pesticides, metals and other contaminants to get into the ground water supply. Meaning 25 years from now there could be a problem and three wells may have to be shut down, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
Officials Assure L.I. Residents Water Is Safe After Contaminated Dumping Sites Found
"Hopefully our due diligence today will avoid a problem then," Gaughran said.
So far, a number of tests have been performed and nothing unsafe has been found, Hall reported.
Last week, Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota announced that in addition to asbestos, Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood and a private lot on Route 111 in Central Islip are badly contaminated with hazardous pesticides, toxic metals and petroleum products.
No asbestos was found at a third site, Veteran's Way in Islandia, but results were pending on other hazardous materials and test results were also pending at PAL Fields in Central Islip, where five pieces of asbestos were found, and in Deer Park wetlands.
The district attorney's office is investigating and charges could be filed.
The Water Authority said if arrests are made, they could file lawsuits against those responsible for the alleged dumping, Gaughran said.
"The Suffolk County Water Authority will do whatever it has to to make sure that if there is a problem, it's not paid for by our rate payers," Gaughran said.
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