Nyack Water Was Contaminated For Over a Week Before Many Residents Found Out

Water tests carried out by EnviroTest Laboratories and released by the Village of Nyack Water Department show the village's water supply—which is used by residents of Nyack, South Nyack, Central Nyack and portions of West Nyack—first became contaminated on June 13. .

Test results were obtained from the village via a FOIL (Freedom of Information Law) request. 

According to the test results, the first sign of problematic water occurred on June 13, although the village was not notified of the findings until June 17. Officials at EnviroTest said the delay was due to lab work, not negligence.

June 13 tests were carried out at four locations around the Nyacks, one of which produced less-than-savory water. Samples taken from the office sink showed that coliform bacteria was present. Coliform bacteria itself is not dangerous, but it often signifies other, more hazardous pathogens could be present. 

"[The] result fails applicable drinking water standards," a note from the laboratory reads.

Another round of tests was carried out on June 17, the day Nyack received word that coliform bacteria was present in the drinking water. One June 20, the results once again identified coliform in water at Nyack Village Hall, but none at nearby Nyack Gourmet, another test site. Residents were .

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The next batch of tests—carried out June 18 and finished June 21—showed coliform remained present in water drawn from the Runcible Spoon. Water taken from on June 20 was found to be harboring coliform.

A higher-than-normal heterotrphic plate count (HPC) was also identified in several of the tests. HPC itself is not unhealthy, but is used to analyze the variety of bacteria in a water supply. In some cases, the HPC went from 2.0 to around 40. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not set a numerical limit for HPC levels, but a quick increase could indicate a problem, EPA officials said.

By the following day—June 21—test results from areas around the Nyacks were no longer showing high coliform levels. June 20 was the last time coliform was present, according to the test results.

Water officials are still speculating as to what caused the coliform presence and spike in HPC levels. At Nyack's most recent board of trustees meeting, Michael Kaneletz, head of the Board of Water Commissioners of Nyack, said an investigation was underway.

"We don't know what caused it," he added. He noted that warm weather, infrequent flushing or water spending too much time in storage tanks could have been possible catalysts.