Orange County in the Hudson Valley has a population of about 400,000, including Newburgh, Middletown, and the area surrounding Stewart Air National Guard…
Orange County in the Hudson Valley has a population of about 400,000, including Newburgh, Middletown, and the area surrounding Stewart Air National Guard Base. The county's water sources include the Catskill Aqueduct system, local reservoirs, and groundwater wells. The contamination of the Washington Lake water supply in Newburgh by PFAS from Stewart ANGB became one of the earliest and most publicized PFAS-in-drinking-water cases in the nation.
The Newburgh PFAS contamination was first identified in 2016 when testing found PFOS in Washington Lake at levels exceeding 170 ppt – among the highest municipal supply contamination levels documented in New York at the time. According to the NYSDOH's 2024 follow-up report, the city switched to an alternative supply and installed granular activated carbon treatment. PFOS levels in treated water are now below the state's MCL of 10 ppt, but the contamination source at Stewart ANGB has not been fully remediated.
New York's PFAS MCLs of 10 ppt for PFOA and PFOS individually are the operative standards. A 2024 NYSDOH assessment found four public water systems in Orange County with PFAS detections above these limits, requiring treatment or alternative supply development.
Newburgh's switch to a treated supply has addressed the immediate crisis, but communities near Stewart ANGB on private wells should be aware that the contamination plume may extend beyond the areas already tested.
Check your water to see the latest monitoring data for your system. For PFAS, reverse osmosis provides the strongest household protection. Our water filter guide covers systems certified at the concentration levels found in this area. Pull your detailed report for historical context, and visit our New York page for statewide data.