Dear Editor: PFAS is an organic contaminant that can cause serious illness.The editorial in the August 4, 2022 edition of the West Essex Tribune on the need to conserve our town’s drinking water contains the following paragraph: “It is also well worth noting that conserving water, according to town officials, decreases the amount of water that must be used from wells in violation of state PFAS thresholds, as well as prevents the need to purchase water from costly outside sources.”These statements may be true, but they are also confusing. My understanding is that some Livingston homes are near wells that already have higher levels of PFAS and therefore are getting more PFAS in their drinking water than other Livingston homes. The town’s water officials will not reveal the locations of our wells because doing so would render our wells vulnerable to poisoning from bad actors. If the town needs to purchase purer water from costly outside sources, we do not know where within the town’s water network, such purer outside water would be introduced. It is conceivable that purer outside water could be released in proximity to certain Livingston homes that would, from then on, be getting a lot of much safer drinking water than our town’s well water.Bearing this possibility in mind, I think it would be most helpful for township utility engineer, Nathan Kiracofe, to explain in more detail either in writing or, for example, at a Town Council meeting, what would happen if we got our water only from our town’s wells or if, instead, we end up purchasing some safer PFAS-free water from outside sources.Clear communication is critical on this topic of the safety of our drinking water. “Fuzzy, happy” talk just confuses and frightens us. Let’s have some clear communication on this topic. Matthew Boxer Trombley Drive ...
