What's in your water? Push for cleaner water in NY

Advocates and lawmakers urging the Governor on Monday for water with lower levels of chemicals. Over time, exposure to certain chemicals can cause liver damage, decreased fertility and cancer. 

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- Advocates and lawmakers urging the Governor on Monday for water with lower levels of chemicals. Over time, exposure to certain chemicals can cause liver damage, decreased fertility and cancer. 

The State Department of Health has set the threshold for contaminants like PFOAs and PFAS to be ten parts per trillion. However scientists strongly suggest it should be no more than two parts per trillion. Assembly member Anna Kelles agrees. 

"They are odorless and tasteless. So when someone drinks water they have absolutely no idea that it’s anything but water. But these chemicals have been found in the scientific literature to have no safe level in the body," she said.

The Assembly woman also adds that New York is right at the beginning stage of regulating water. There are over 6000 PFAS chemicals in our water. And these chemicals are bio-accumulative meaning, when we ingest small amounts over time they can build up and create toxicity in our bodies. 

Jennifer Rawlison lives in Newburgh and is concerned about the long term effects especially for her children. She’s urging lawmakers to do the right thing. 

"I’d say be as ambitious and as bold as possible in making this decision and ask for the least amount of exposures moving forward. I like non-detect, but if it's two ppt we’re looking at right now so be it," she said.  

And when it comes to accountability, assembly member Chris Burdick says: 

"We need to also identify those companies, those sources of the pollutants and then we need to say to them ‘you were responsible for causing this problem, and you need to be responsible for cleaning it up.”