Officials say PFAS detected in groundwater near energy storage site; task force formed to coordinate testing and replacement water

East Hampton officials said June 9 that per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been detected in groundwater near the East Hampton Energy Storage Center and that two public water supply wells south of the facility were taken out of service by the Suffolk County Water Authority.

Supervisor Kathy Bur Gonzalez told the board the county had begun door‑to‑door notifications to roughly 30 households and offered free drinking‑water testing to private wells in the area. She said she had convened and would participate in a joint interagency task force including the governor’s office, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the New York State Department of Health, Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Suffolk County Water Authority to coordinate sampling, data sharing, replacement water supplies and definition of contamination extent.

"Accountability matters, but a lawsuit does not test a private well or groundwater," the supervisor said, adding that the task force’s immediate priorities were to share data, expedite sampling and provide replacement water at no cost to impacted homeowners.

Board members said they would participate in weekly calls and press for rapid testing and remediation planning. The town emphasized that public‑water customers served by the water authority still receive water that meets drinking standards, but urged conservation as the authority tracks usage while wells are offline for testing and response.

What to watch: The task force will coordinate expedited sampling and replacement water; residents in the immediate area may be contacted for door‑to‑door testing. The town said it will press state and county partners to define and remediate the full extent of contamination.