Proposed Sullivan County Left Behind Again: Fallsburg Needs PFAS Testing Now
Dear Friends and Neighbors
When Kathy Hochul announced New York’s new Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program, it was presented as a major step forward in protecting residents from dangerous “forever chemicals” in drinking water. But once again, Sullivan County has been left out. Six counties were selected: Dutchess County, Putnam County, Orange County, Ulster County, Westchester County, and Suffolk County. Notably absent: a county that depends heavily on private wells and is experiencing increasing development pressure—Sullivan County.
A Rural County That Relies on Private Wells
Unlike more suburban counties with extensive municipal water systems, large portions of Sullivan County, especially the Town of Fallsburg, depend on private wells for drinking water. That means – No routine state-regulated testing; No guaranteed monitoring for emerging contaminants like PFAS, and no safety net unless homeowners test on their own. This is exactly the population the state claims this program is meant to protect.
Rapid Development Without Baseline Data
At the same time, Fallsburg is facing intensifying development, including large-scale residential projects that require – High-capacity well drilling, groundwater withdrawals, and new septic and wastewater systems. Yet there is no comprehensive, countywide baseline testing for PFAS in private wells.
Without that data, there is no way to answer critical questions:
Are existing wells already contaminated?
Are new wells impacting groundwater quality?
Is development increasing risk to surrounding properties?
Approving large-scale groundwater use without baseline contamination data is a serious oversight.
PFAS: A Known Risk, Not a Theoretical One
PFAS chemicals have been linked to cancer, thyroid disease, immune system suppression, and reproductive and developmental effects. New York State has already set strict drinking water limits of 10 parts per trillion for key PFAS compounds. The state acknowledges these risks. That is precisely why this program exists. So why exclude a county that relies heavily on groundwater, lacks widespread testing, and is undergoing increased development pressure?
Lack of Data Is Not Proof of Safety
The likely explanation is that counties were selected based on existing contamination data. But that raises a critical issue: Sullivan County may not have less contamination—it may simply have less testing.
Rural communities are often left out of programs like this because they lack the very data needed to qualify. This creates a dangerous cycle: No testing → no documented problem, no documented problem → no funding, and no funding → continued lack of testing. Meanwhile, residents remain in the dark about what’s in their drinking water.
Fallsburg Should Be a Priority—Not an Afterthought
The Town of Fallsburg represents a perfect case for inclusion:
• A high number of private wells
• Increasing demand on groundwater resources
• Growing concern about infrastructure capacity
• Active development proposals with long-term water impacts
If this pilot program is truly about protecting public health, Fallsburg should be at the top of the list—not excluded from it.
Who Is Advocating for Sullivan County?
This is the question residents should be asking. Why are neighboring Mid-Hudson counties included while Sullivan is not? Who is pushing for resources to protect local drinking water? And why does Sullivan County continue to be overlooked in state-level initiatives?
Access to clean, safe drinking water is not optional. It is not regional. And it should not depend on whether a county already has documented contamination.
A Call for Immediate Inclusion
Sullivan County must be included in any expansion of the PFAS testing program, future rounds of state funding, and comprehensive groundwater monitoring efforts.
At minimum, the state should provide 1. baseline PFAS testing for private wells, 2. transparent data collection, and 3. reporting and resources for homeowners if contamination is found.
The exclusion of Sullivan County from New York’s PFAS pilot program is not just an oversight—it is a failure to recognize the realities of rural communities that depend on private wells. In a place like Fallsburg, where groundwater is the primary source of drinking water and development pressures are increasing, the need for testing is urgent. Without it, residents are left with uncertainty, risk, and no clear path forward.
Sullivan County doesn’t need to be studied later. It needs to be protected now.
Fallsburg's Future is a community network of concerned Fallsburg residents established in January 2016. Its Mission is to help guide the urban development of the town of Fallsburg and its five hamlets, to promote its sustainable economic development, protect the fragile beauty of its natural habitats and enhance the opportunities and quality of life for all its residents and visitors. We hope to curb the suburban sprawl that is threatening to overwhelm the town’s physical infrastructure and destroy the natural beauty that the area depends on for its future development. See us on Facebook and our website Fallsburgsfuture.com.