Long Island residents push for tough drinking water standards

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. - For years, Long Islanders have been worried about their drinking water. Environmentalists are calling on health officials to set clear drinking water standards across the board.

Adrienne Esposito, the executive director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, is putting pressure on the New York State Department of Health to come out with drinking water standards for contaminants, including 1,4 Dioxane.

"The water needs to be filtered out by our water suppliers and those standards need to be set by our health department," she said.

Esposito is also making it clear the environmental group is against the state's consideration to allow water suppliers to apply for a two-year deferral for contaminants known as PFOA and PFOS.

The drinking water standards that Esposito said were due to be set in December will help Long Island residents like Kelly McClinchy. Water wells in areas including Bethpage and Calverton are impacted by toxic plumes with harmful contaminants. Environmentalists say the problem is there's no options for treatment until standards are set.

"It's something I'm anxious about on a daily basis," McClinchy said. "It doesn't go away."

Officials with the Health Department said that drinking water standards are expected to be released sometime in April.