Newburgh Mayor: Water Crisis Over

The state of emergency has been cancelled in Newburgh after the mayor says the water is safe to drink.

On Monday a state of emergency was declared after a potentially harmful chemical was found in the city’s drinking water. Perfluorooctane Sulfonate, or PFOS, and was discovered in Silver Stream and Lake Washington. PFOS is a key ingredient in stain repellent products.

City of Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy says she was not made aware of the decision by City Manager Michael Ciaravino to declare the emergency.

Kennedy says there was never any need to panic as the drinking water from its original source was always safe.

"At no time has the level of PFOS been over the EPA guidelines which has been 200 parts per trillion," said Kennedy according to ABC 7. "Our measurement has been at 140 perts per trillion."

Because of the presence of PFOs, for the time being, the city will stop drawing water from Washington Lake. The city will now us Brown’s Pond and the Catskills Aqueduct.

Residents may notice their water looking different, but, “the water that you now find in the faucet is perfectly safe to drink," Kennedy said.

With the change in water sources residents are being urged to limit water use to 50 gallons a day.

Local restaurants will only serve water when asked. Watering paved surfaces is not allowed and the watering of lawns and gardens will be restricted.