What's happening
This bill requires small public water systems in New York to test for 1,4-Dioxane and report results publicly, with initial testing costs reimbursed.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and public awareness. by requiring small water systems to publish 1,4-Dioxane test results online and include them in annual reports, allowing residents to know if their drinking water is contaminated.
Helps address potential health risks. by mandating that the Department of Health provide up-to-date scientific information on 1,4-Dioxane exposure, health effects, and treatment options, empowering communities and individuals with knowledge to protect themselves.
Ensures equitable access to testing. by mandating that the state reimburse small water systems for the full cost of initial 1,4-Dioxane testing, removing financial barriers for under-resourced communities to monitor water safety.
Creates a centralized and standardized approach. by requiring certified laboratories to submit results electronically and the Department of Health to post lists of approved labs and costs, which can improve data consistency, facilitate potential regulatory action, and inform future policy.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Test Water for 1,4-Dioxane
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 7
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2841
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 29, 2019
Introduced by Sen. KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring
1,4-Dioxane testing of public water systems that serve less than
10,000 individuals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section 1151-a to read as follows:
§ 1151-a. 1,4-Dioxane Testing. 1. Each public water system as defined in the state sanitary code that serves less than ten thousand individuals shall test drinking water for the presence of 1,4-Dioxane. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the provisions and purposes of this section. Such rules and regulations shall at a minimum include:
(a) a listing, which shall be updated annually and posted on the department's website, of laboratories certified by the department pursuant to section five hundred two of this chapter that are able to test drinking water for 1,4-Dioxane. Such listing shall include the name and contact information for each certified laboratory;
(b) information in writing and through the department's website that provides up to date information on scientific studies, scientific based research and any other relevant materials related to routes of exposure, health effects, federal standards and guidelines, guidelines and standards set by other states, remediation techniques or treatments, and any other information the commissioner determines appropriate for 1,4-Dioxane;
(c) any testing results for 1,4-Dioxane previously submitted in annual water quality reports as prescribed by the state sanitary code and performed pursuant to monitoring required under the federal Safe Drinking Water Act;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09089-01-9
S. 2841 2
(d) approximate cost of testing drinking water for 1,4-Dioxane for public water suppliers and for individual onsite water supply systems;
2. The department shall reimburse public water systems performing drinking water testing pursuant to this section for one hundred percent of the laboratory costs associated with any initial testing.
3. Laboratories shall submit such results to the department electronically in the manner prescribed pursuant to section five hundred two of this chapter.
4. Public water systems shall include any test results performed pursuant to this section in annual water quality reports and shall post test results to a publicly accessible internet site.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring 1,4-Dioxane testing of public water systems that serve less than 10,000 individuals
Purpose or general idea of bill
Current federal law requires all public water systems that serve more than 10,000 individuals to test for a maximum of 30 unregulated contam- inants. Under the last Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR), the results of which were released over the Summer of 2016, the contam- inant 1,4-Dioxane was found to be in over 70% of tested wells on Long Island. This legislation will close the federal loophole and require public water systems serving 10,000 individuals or less to test for the presence of 1,4-Dioxane.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one amends the public health law by adding a new section 1151-a which will require public water systems serving less than 10,000 indi- vidual to test for the presence of 1,4-Dioxane.
The NYS Department of Health (DOH) must make available to the water districts and on it's website a list of laboratories certified to conduct tests for the presence of 1,4-Dioxane and the contact informa- tion of the laboratories.
Additional information the DOH would have to make available to water districts includes scientific studies, scientific research, routes of exposure, federal standards and guidelines, standards and guidelines of other states, remediation techniques and treatment, results of tests from other water districts, and the approximate costs of testing drink- ing water for 1,4-Dioxane.
The Department of Health would be required to reimburse water districts serving less than 10,000 individuals 100% of the costs of the testing.
Laboratories shall submit the results of the test results electronically to the DOH. The public water systems serving less than 10,000 individ- uals will make the results of the tests on their website.
Section two provides that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
Pursuant to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act public water systems serving more than 10,000 individuals are required to test for a maximum of 30 unregulated contaminants. The federal law exempts public water systems that serve less than 10,000 individuals from conducting these tests for contamination. This past summer when the results of the third unregulated contaminant monitoring rule was released, 70% of Long Island wells tested positive for 1,4-Dioxane, it is essential that this exemption be closed and public water systems that have not been tested for 1,4-Dioxane be tested. Public water systems that would be required
to test for the presence of 1,4-Dioxane under this legislation would be reimbursed 100% for the cost of testing.
Prior legislative history
S. 4544 of 2017/2018; Referred to Health
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.