Pleasantville to Up Number of Annual Water Tests

After water tests in Pleasantville residences have revealed slightly elevated levels of lead and copper in a few places, the village will be circulating literature to locals about maintaining pipes.

"[Elevated levels] can pose a risk for small children, the elderly and people who might be sick," Patricia Dwyer, village administrator, explained to the board of trustees on Monday.

Mayor Peter Scherer stressed that it is not the village's water system that failed the required Westchester County tests, but private homes.

"We do use erosion control inhibitors. We do everything right," Dwyer said. "The county department of health selects the sampling locations. After you fail a certain number of times, we are required to do this."

One of the affected homes, she said, recently had new plumbing installed and may have used low-quality products.

"One particular house has people out six months of the year," she said. "We caught them when they were home and this is what we got—a bad sample."

The county requires municipalities to sample water on an annual basis, but after a certain number of failed tests, the requirement becomes quarterly.

Residents perform the home tests by taking containers and collecting the very first water sample of the day for testing.

"The bottom line is we are sending out consumer notifications that tell people about lead," Dwyer said.

Trustee Jonathan Cunningham said he did not feel the village should necessarily have to pay for the mailings.

"I just don't understand how this is our problem," he stated. "We can't compel [residents] to upgrade, so what's the point?"

Said Scherer, "It's fine to be frustrated, but it is the law."

He added, "We don't want to create an unreasonable level of concern."

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