Emerging Contaminant Team, Suffolk County Department of Health Services

• Dr. Gregson H. Pigott, MD, MPH, Health Commissioner; Christina Capobianco, CPA, Deputy Health Commissioner; Amy Juchatz, MPH, Environmental Toxicologist; Walter Dawydiak, Jr., P.E., J.D., Director of Environmental Quality; John Sohngen, P.E., Chief Public Health Engineer; Jason R. Hime, P.E., Principal Public Health Engineer; Donna Potter, Office Assistant; Joshua Mednick, P.E, Senior Public Health Engineer; Andrew Rapiejko, Associate Hydrogeologist; Mary LaFlair, Associate Public Health Sanitarian; Jonathan Wanlass, Hydrogeologist; Ralph Milito, Associate Public Health Sanitarian; Christinna Hak, Assistant Public Health Engineer Trainee; John Riley, Assistant Public Health Engineer Trainee; David Mullen, Senior Public Health Sanitarian; Kate Abazis, Public Health Sanitarian; Jesse Travis, Public Health Sanitarian; John Zablocky, Public Health Sanitarian; Anthony Condos, Senior Public Health Sanitarian; Francesca King, Public Health Sanitarian; Michael Marmo, Public Health Sanitarian; Karol Sarian, Senior Public Health Sanitarian; Brian Pedersen, Assistant Hydrogeologist; Joseph Martin, Public Health Sanitarian; Luis Velasquez, Well Driller I; Eric Ericksen, Construction Equipment Operator; Mario Velasquez, Heavy Equipment Operator; Matthew Buzby, Auto Equipment Operator; Amanda Lesiewicz, Public Health Sanitarian; Tyler Pirnak, Public Health Sanitarian; Justin Andrews, Public Health Sanitarian

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services (SCDHS) Emerging Contaminant Team has been working diligently on researching, providing guidance, drilling, and sampling drinking water, surface water and groundwater for emerging contaminants including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and 1,4-dioxane for the protection of public and environmental health. Since 2015/2016, the team has been sampling for these emerging contaminants, coordinating with NYS Department of Health, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Drinking Water Quality Council, providing analytical data to support development of the State’s drinking water standards for PFAS compounds, and assisted with the installation and pilot testing of new treatment systems. Although Suffolk County has an extensive public water supply network, there remains an estimated 35,000 private wells in the County serving about 100,000 of the County’s 1.5 million residents. SCDHS works closely with State agencies to prioritize and sample potentially impacted private wells in areas of concern. If contamination is discovered exceeding the drinking water standard, SCDHS will coordinate with State agencies and provide guidance to residents on potential exposure mitigation measures such as bottled water or treatment, if public water is not immediately available.