10/25/2024
WT Staff
 Got water questions? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email us at info@wtny.us
October 25, 2024 updated 449 pm EDT
New EPA Serious Violator List is out for NYS, 24 additions, 45 facilities cleared from serious violator status
Fifty thousand New York residents are no longer served by serious violator drinking water facilities, according to the latest reporting and inspection cycle of the EPA. The number of New York residents drawing their drinking water from a facility with serious violations is 77,951, down from more than 128 thousand last quarter. The new figure represents .4% of the population of NYS, as per the 2024 Census.
The number of licensed drinking water facilities in NYS is 8205, the same as last quarter, the compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act has not changed since the last quarterly report, 92.6% of facilities are fully compliant. 7.4%, 611 facilities have non-compliance issues and/or SDWA violations in the prior 12 quarters. Of these 611, 49 facilities have significant violations, including exceeding the maximum contaminant levels, violation of treatment techniques or groundwater rules.
See the latest EPA - SDWA Compliance Report for New York State, here.
A new report from the USGS published in the journal Science October 24 points to the potential number of New Yorkers served from groundwater sources that have detectable levels of "forever chemicals", per and poly-fluoro alkly compounds that have recently been added to the Safe Drinking Water Act. Facilities have until 2029 to implement the treatment process required to remove these contaminants from the public water supply. More to follow.
Streamflow Situation from the USGS network of streamflow gauges
Near freezing temps upstate last night making way for a high of 59, clouds increasing with a slight chance of showers in the west interior. Sunny and clear in the city today, high of 62. National Weather Service has not extended the elevated fire risk statement from the low relative humidity yesterday afternoon though no rain in the forecast, the dry conditions continue. Statewide the much below seasonal normal streamflow trend continues with an escalation on the drought map overnight. We now see part of the St. Lawrence River watershed in severe drought, the Raquette River channel through central St. Lawrence County has seen record low water levels for this time of year. Adjacent area to the west of Raquette River in the same watershed is rated below normal, as is adjacent Black River watershed. In the northeast, Lake Champlain watershed remains in severe drought impacting north Washington and east Essex Counties, surrounded by Upper Hudson watershed rated below normal, impacting south Washington and Saratoga Counties.
Lake Ontario minor tributaries west section remains in moderate drought with adjacent Niagara River - Lake Erie and Allegheny River watershed in the south rated below normal. Mohawk River watershed remains below normal through the Schoharie Creek channel west of the Catskills. Susquehanna River watershed is back on the drought map today, below normal, joining up with adjacent Delaware, Ramapo and Lower Hudson River watersheds, all below normal. Long Island Sound watershed remains below normal through south Westchester and Richmond Counties.
As of this report, there are no flood events registering in the network, no extreme high (99th percentile) or extreme low (1st percentile) flows.
Safe Drinking Water Advisories
Fulton County: Johnstown has issued a BWA following a water main break yesterday. The advisory is a necessary precaution for those impacted by the loss of service and or drop in water pressure. Customers connecting on County Highway 131A between house 282 and 288 as well as portions of Hulbert and LaGrange roads are advised to boil all water intended for consumption or oral hygiene for at least one minute to sanitize the water until further notice. Johnstown Waterworks supplies 8154 residential customers from a surface water source in the Mohawk River watershed. A check of the compliance history online shows Johnstown with an impeccable record, no significant violations or non-compliance matters with the Safe Drinking Water Act, according to the EPA.
WT HAB Tracker from the satellite monitoring program of the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science(NCCOS) and NYS DEC
New York
Seventy eight HABs active on the DEC notifications board Friday morning, as reported Thursday afternoon. A first HAB of the season has been confirmed for White Pond in Putnam County. The extent of this bloom is not included in the report. As reported here yesterday, another HAB debut for the season confirmed in Melody Lake in Cortland County. Back on the active list, Agawam Lake in Suffolk County and Canandaigua Lake in Ontario County. Beaver Dam Lake has been hit with a late outbreak of HAB, the number of confirmed blooms there accounts for almost one third of the active HABs in the state. Reports made prior to Oct 10 have moved into the archive file, that set of records numbering 1973 for the season. Our impacted water body list is in the process to roll over to the archive report for the season, here.
The latest satellite image of Lake Champlain was captured Oct 24, a mostly cloud obscured view, the prior clear image dated Oct 22 shows no HAB activity in Lake Champlain. Lake Carmi maintains lakewide HAB around 500 to 600 thousand cells per ml. See the NCCOS color image of Lake Champlain here.
|
|
|
