The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has given a $1.25 million grant to Suffolk County to test for pesticides in groundwater.
The grant will allow the Department of Health Services to begin a new round of testing for pesticides in Long Island’s groundwater, at no additional cost to taxpayers.
The DEC grant almost exceeds the entire amount Suffolk County has spent over the past two decades testing for pesticide contamination.
Health officials will drill wells that will be tested for pesticide levels every six months. The wells will be located on approved commercial properties.
Health officials say that private wells are more susceptible to pesticide contamination from nearby farms. More than 10 percent of all Suffolk households rely on water from these wells.
