At the Szabo-Hunsberger household, bottled water is the only drinking option. Julie Szabo and her husband Luke Hunsberger, are concerned about the safety of Woodstock’s drinking water.

Their worry began when their neighborhood—located in the hamlet of Shady—became the focus of environmental concerns related to a nearby construction and debris landfill. These concerns deepened following a recent report in late March from the laboratory that analyzes chemical spikes in the town’s drinking water. The couple’s pets—three dogs and a cat—only drink bottled water, though their chickens and garden rely on the town’s water.

“I’m taking that particular risk—the vegetables are growing in the dirt that is being watered,” she said. Although bottled water is an added expense and inconvenience, Szabo, a breast cancer survivor, errs on the side of caution.“ I don’t want to order bottled water, but I feel like I have to,” she said. 

Recent town water sampling indicates a rise in PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonic acid) in one of two wells at Pumphouse 1 located at the Rick Volz ballfield. The five wells at Pumphouse 2 have shown no contaminants.

PFOS is a human-made chemical belonging to a larger group known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly called “forever chemicals.” PFOS was historically used in products like non-stick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics, firefighting foams, and industrial processes. It’s known for its persistence in the environment and the human body, as it breaks down very slowly. Exposure to PFOS has been linked to health issues such as kidney damage, fertility problems, immune system impairment, and various types of cancer. 

The latest test results show Well 2, installed in 2023, at 3.67 parts per trillion (ppt), up from a previous measurement of 2.21 ppt. PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) was also detected at 2.06 ppt. While the detected levels are below New York state’s current maximum allowable limit of 10 ppt, these levels are still linked to health problems, including kidney damage, fertility issues, and various cancers.

In 2023, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation provided guidelines on acceptable levels for PFOA and PFOS. In 2029, public water systems must comply with new federal guidelines of 4 ppt for PFOA and PFOS, according to the DEC. 

Szabo joins a growing number of residents demanding the town investigate the contamination’s source and provide clean drinking water. The Woodstock water system services some 2,500 people through 750 hookups drinking from the same aquifer.

At the April 8 town board meeting, some residents raised concerns, including members of the citizen group Woodstockers United for Change. Vince Mow, a Saugerties resident, represented the group in urging the town to consider eliminating Pumphouse 1, and instead rely on Pumphouse 2, while also increasing public communication.

“The town website should have an advisory that both PFOS and PFAS are now present in our morning coffee,” Mow said.

Finding Solutions

Town Supervisor Bill McKenna said he was “disappointed” by recent findings. 

“I want to see zero detects. We provide the water, and we do have an obligation to protect it and to ensure that it is as clean and healthy as possible,” McKenna said. “Small communities, though, don’t necessarily have all these tools to make this happen. I will continue to follow the advice of the state and county health departments. Their advice is, `you are under the limits right now. Continue to do quarterly testing.’”

The March results were forwarded to the county and state, which advised the town to test the wells again in three months. 

McKenna and his staff share water results on the town’s Facebook page. In 2024, it held a public forum recommending that concerned residents consider home filtration systems. McKenna noted that eliminating the contaminated well and relying on one pump house would cause overcapacity issues. 

Six months ago, McKenna and town engineer Dennis Larios began exploring filtration system options with the idea that it would need to be implemented. 

When asked whether it is safe to drink the town water, McKenna said, “yes, it’s under the state and federal limits.” While he lives outside the water district and has a private well, McKenna said he drinks the water at the town office. “But I always recommend people talk to your physician if you have specific health problems,” he said.

Recommendations

Concerns over Woodstock’s water quality started before the recent PFOS spikes.

In 2023, Szabo and fellow residents formed Protect Woodstock’s Water, a neighborhood group concerned about contaminants from the debris at 10 Church Street, known colloquially in the community as “Shady Dump.” 

The “Shady Dump” refers to a contentious pile of construction debris dumped illegally in a residential yard in Shady, a small hamlet within Woodstock. The issue began in late 2019 when a neighbor’s landscaping project turned into a dumping ground for demolition waste, including concrete, bricks, asphalt, and other construction debris, reportedly sourced from New York City. Neighbors discovered that the debris posed risks to local groundwater and wells, escalating the matter into a lengthy, complicated legal and political battle involving local authorities, state regulators, scientists, and the broader Woodstock community. Despite numerous lawsuits, fines, and community protests, much of the debris remains on-site, symbolizing small-town bureaucracy, environmental concerns, and neighborhood feuds. 

Protect Woodstock’s Water hired hydrologist Paul Rubin and geologist Kathy Beinkafner to conduct an independent study on the possible environmental implications from the debris. The report highlighted the potential connection between the debris and the town’s water supply. The report also recommended that the city provide bottled water and that residents consider home distillation. In late 2023, the report was sent to the town and the state’s DEC regional office.

Rubin emphasized concerns about PFOS levels and suggested more frequent well testing, potentially monthly.

“If it’s a contaminant that shouldn’t be there and it’s a health concern, it’s very important to know where the source is and reduce the concentrations,” Rubin told The Overlook. “If it were my well and it was downgraded, I would not personally drink that water.” A filtration system is “a good first step.” 

Meanwhile, Woodstockers United for Change has circulated a petition urging the town to outline a specific plan addressing water safety, and to hire a hydrologist to conduct source tracing.

The Road Ahead

Szabo moved to Reynolds Lane after she completed chemotherapy. 

“We had a very clean water system with several centenarians on our lane,” she said, adding there is significant “anxiety” and “grief” about the current drinking water situation.

While Szabo would prefer glass bottles over plastic, affordability is an issue. Glass bottles are more expensive, and bottled water can contain microplastics, too. “I don’t really love the fact that I am drinking water out of plastic,” she said. 

Microplastics have been linked to potential health risks, including inflammation, hormone disruption, and long-term exposure concerns as tiny plastic particles accumulate in organs and tissues.

Szabo and Hunsberger, who own another house on the same street, ask their tenants to buy bottled water as well.

“I don’t want to put people who come into my house at risk,” she said. While the couple’s chickens have been okay, their tenants “won’t eat the eggs because they aren’t [drinking] bottled water,” she added.

Amy Wu is a reporter covering Woodstock and Saugerties. Send correspondence to amy@theoverlooknews.com.