Putnam County to participate in NYS PFAS private-well pilot; county to process reimbursements

The Health Department briefed the committee on a New York State private-well PFAS testing and mitigation pilot that Putnam County will join. Associate Public Health Sanitarian Brian Stevens explained the programs structure: the state will handle outreach and testing; if a homeowners well exceeds the state standard, the owner may hire a contractor to install treatment and be reimbursed up to prescribed caps. "If the findings exceed the state standards, the homeowner can hire a plumber to install the treatment and be reimbursed up to a $5,000 cap," Stevens said, noting higher caps in specific circumstances.

Key reimbursement caps Stevens detailed are $5,000 for typical treatment, $1,000 where there is not room for a sizeable system, and up to $10,000 for community hook-ups. He said the program has a $1.5 million total allocation over five years and that the county budget amendment covers an expected $300,000 in the first year; testing will begin in the first half of 2026. Eligibility covers Putnam County residents with private wells not part of regulated public supplies, and the program also includes transient private wells at small businesses with private apartments.

Fiscal Manager William Orr explained the $300,000 figure reflects the expected first-year demand within the five-year $1.5 million allocation. Stevens said there is no per-year applicant cap; reimbursements are paid after treatment and if a homeowner does not complete mitigation within six months their allocated funds return to the pool. Public Health Director Rian Rodriguez said the state will map impacted wells and the countys role is to process reimbursement paperwork; test results are available to county sanitarians but not posted publicly. Chairwoman Montgomery moved to pre-file the budget resolution; Legislator Russo seconded. Vote: all in favor.