BARRYVILLE, N.Y. — The Town of Highland is urging residents and property owners in a specified area to have their private water wells tested for E. coli as a precaution following concerns about potential wastewater entering groundwater.
In an Oct. 20 advisory, the town said the recommendation is intended to help potentially affected residents take appropriate steps to protect their drinking water. The advisory emphasizes that the recommendation does not mean any particular private well has been determined to be contaminated.
The town announced Oct. 22 that it is partnering with AG Environmental to provide E. coli testing through residential site visits and a group sample collection.
AG Environmental and town Code Officer Erika Schneider are scheduled to visit specified properties Friday, Oct. 23, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Residents who prefer to collect their own samples can obtain sampling kits from Town Hall.
The kits will be available Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and Monday and Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Each kit includes a sterile sample bottle, a chain-of-custody form and collection instructions.
Homeowners collecting their own samples must collect them after 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, and keep them refrigerated or on ice until delivery. Samples must be brought to Town Hall by noon Wednesday, Oct. 28, for pickup by AG Environmental and transport to testing facilities.
The advisory identifies properties on four roads:
- Mail Road: 174, 182, 183, 188, 192, 210, 211, 217, 218, 220, 224, 225, 226 and 227.
- Yulan-Barryville Road: 180, 184 and 188.
- Kern Road: 25, 27, 28, 29 and 31.
- Summit Drive: 22, 24, 26 and 28.
Residents with questions can contact the Town of Highland Code Office at code@townofhighlandny.com.
The town’s advisory recommends precautionary testing but does not report confirmed contamination of any individual well.