Drowning in Plastic

Writing by Kayla Schmidt

Artwork by Molly McGarvey

Reports of suspicious activity amongst the county have surfaced; citizens claim the water is “unsafe.” But who is the perpetrator? Well, it’s not really a question of who, but what. And that “what” are forever chemicals known by the name of PFAS.

PFAS 101

Let’s start with the basics. What are PFAS? PFAS, which stands for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a widely used group of long-lasting chemicals (also known as “forever chemicals”), including PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid). But what does that mean?

“They are organic chemicals manufactured for many things, including various industrial uses like coatings—stain-resistant coatings, water-resistant coatings and more,” says Kelly Hunter Foster, senior attorney for the Waterkeeper Alliance. “They started being produced some time around the 1950s, and there are about 15,000 different kinds.”

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PFAS can be found in a myriad of locations across the globe, most commonly in water, air, fish and soil. Given how many different kinds of PFAS there are, it is easy for them to find their way into common consumer, commercial and industrial products. In reality, avoiding them is near impossible.

As for Westchester County, the most common source is well water. “PFAS are used a lot in fire fighting foam, Teflon, water repellent clothing, cleaning products and plastics, which have leached into our water system,” says Tony Gonçalves, Lewisboro town supervisor.

Forever chemicals, forever problems

You may be asking yourself, “So what?” or “Why should I care?” Well, PFAS are linked to a variety of health risks. The National Toxicology Program (NTP) says PFAS are an immense hazard to the immune system. Research dating back to as early as 2015 highlights that PFAS alter the immune systems in humans by suppressing antibody response. According to  the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), consuming high amounts of PFAS can result in the following health conditions:

• Developmental delays in children
• Higher cholesterol and/or obesity
• Hormonal imbalance
• Infertility or increased high blood pressure in females
• Various types of cancer, including prostate, kidney and testicular cancers
• Weakened immune system

“Studies show that human exposure to PFAS is widespread and that nearly all people in the United States have some PFAS compounds in their blood,” writes the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Similarly, a 2024 report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) designed to inform clinicians says that approximately 95 percent of all Americans have PFAS in their bloodstream.

Moreover, there are certain factors that impact how “at-risk” you are. For instance, because children are still developing, they run a higher risk of infection. Additionally, immunocompromised adults may be more susceptible.

In a January study published in the research journal Nature, researchers analyzed the link between data from public drinking water systems and cancer between 2016 and 2021. Researchers concluded that PFAS in drinking water was responsible for between 4,600 and 6,800 cases of cancer. Specifically, they found that “in males, PFAS were associated with cancers in the urinary system, brain and other nervous systems, leukemia and soft tissues in males, and, in females, PFAS were associated with the endocrine system, oral cavity and pharynx, and soft tissue.”

PFAS patrol

Luckily, Westchester County and the entirety of the United States are working to combat this crisis.

“In 2021, the NYSDOH (New York State Department of Health) lowered their maximum allowable threshold for PFAS from 70 ppt (parts per trillion) to 10 ppt,” notes Goncalves. “They also required all public water systems to test for this chemical. Anyone who tested higher than 10 ppt would need to install a filtration system to remove the PFAS. Now, every three months, the NYSDOH requires PFAS testing.”

In 2024, the town of Pound Ridge wrote a letter to their citizens explaining they found PFAS in “several drinking water wells” that contained “levels greater than New York State standards for two common PFAS compounds, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).” The town explained that filtration systems might be installed, and their  Wastewater Task Force will expedite a planned establishment of a public water district as well as  a sewer district in Scotts Corners. In the letter, they also encouraged townspeople with their own private wells to regularly test for PFAS.

However, PFAS testing can be incredibly expensive, sometimes reaching up to about $6,000. The community needs great amounts of money to mitigate this disaster, and tests are just yet another added expense.

“The Town of Lewisboro has been able to apply and receive grants to help cover the cost of the work we are doing,” Gonçalves says. “As elected officials, we’ve been talking to county and state legislators to push for additional funding to help support non-municipal entities, such as townhouse complexes. At the moment, private communities do not have the grants available to municipalities, so they have to provide their own money, which is a financial burden on the citizens.”

On a national scale, the EPA reports that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law earmarked $2 billion to address contaminants in the water, including PFAS. These funds will serve to promote clean water in different communities across the nation.

“In 2022, the Waterkeeper Alliance did a nationwide monitoring project with waterkeepers for surface waters,” says Hunter Foster. “We did a sampling study across the country and found widespread contamination with all different kinds of PFAS in surface waters. Since that time, we’ve been advocating for the EPA to follow through on its regulatory proposals to adopt standards for drinking water, standards for cleaning up contaminated sites, and standards for controlling industrial/wastewater treatment plant discharges, among other things.”

At the moment, these standards only apply to six different kinds of PFAS, but the Waterkeeper Alliance hopes to adjust the spread of these standards to cover all 15,000 different PFAS.

Clean up your act

This crisis has continued to grow, but fortunately there are a few things you can do to help. One of the obvious is to test your water. “There’s no mandate for homeowners to conduct PFAS testing,” remarks Frank Magnotta, owner of Westfair Water Systems. “I would probably recommend testing yearly, depending on your water quality. We do radon testing on a yearly basis, so for other contaminants like PFAS, yearly is likely a safe bet.” There are many different tests available; however, they cost around $500-$700 and should be done by a professional. Call your local water department before testing. Also, don’t use nonstick cookware—they are almost all contaminated. And read labels; read anything and everything because you never know what may be contaminated with PFAS.

“You can also reach out to your local drinking water source or wastewater treatment plant and ask them to do more in terms of holding their industrial sources responsible,” suggests Hunter Foster. “Talk to the people in your community and let them know your concern.”

Magnotta notes there are numerous ways to keep your family safe, including bottled water and water delivery, but if you’d like to drink straight from your kitchen sink, the best option is to install a reverse osmosis system, which provides a separate faucet for drinking water. In simple terms, this system filters the water through a semipermeable membrane (a special wall with miniscule holes so only water can escape), leaving all the chemicals on one side and allowing only clean water to flow from your faucet. Commercial filters (like Brita and PUR) are not designed to remove PFAS and would need to be changed daily, according to Magnotta. And while installing a reverse osmosis system throughout your home is ideal, if you’re tight on space or budget, then he recommends prioritizing your drinking water as it has the most direct impact on your health.

Moreover, spreading awareness is of the utmost importance. If people know about PFAS, they know to look for them, and as this is known to be a relatively underreported issue, sharing knowledge can go a long way.

“There hasn’t been nearly enough general education on the matter,” Gonçalves points out. “I think there should be a campaign to inform people, especially now that the federal government has lowered the standards for how much PFAS can be in the water. Individuals who may be impacted may not even know they’re at risk since there’s so little light shed on the issue. There needs to be more effort put in to spread the knowledge of PFAS to folks and give them some direction in terms of what they can do personally to safeguard and test their drinking water.”

Ultimately, these chemicals are incredibly important to acknowledge, and while they are “forever,” they are still treatable. If you want to take a step toward combating this crisis, take a look at EWG’s map to see the PFAS levels in your area. This map displays the numerous water systems throughout the county that have detected PFAS, and although levels tend to remain below federal limits, past incidents—like the “Do Not Drink” advisories at different local schools—and ongoing concerns demonstrate the need for continued monitoring.

This article was published in the May/June 2025 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.