6 July Orange County Participating in NYS Private Well PFAS Testing Program - Applications open week of July 6th July 6, 2026 By Danyelle Barrett General 0 Do You Have a Private Well? Orange County Department of Health (“OCDOH”) announces participation in the New York State Private Well PFAS Testing and Mitigation Rebate Pilot Program. Applications for water testing will open the week of July 6, 2026. The New York State Department of Health (“NYS”) is funding a pilot program in Orange County where residents who get their water from a private well can apply through a NYS link to have their water tested for the presence of PFAS, at no cost to them. Testing is arranged through the NYS website. PFAS are a large group of man-made chemicals linked to significant health risks. If the level of PFAS in your well water is above the NYS drinking water standards and you either connect to a public water supply or install an in-home PFAS treatment system, you may be eligible for a rebate under the program. Orange County’s involvement is at the rebate stage. Participation in the program is voluntary and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Limited funds are available and once NYS funds are depleted, there will be no more testing or rebates. While all residents with private wells are eligible, emphasis is given to properties located in areas identified by NYS as priority areas based on the number of parcels with private water and septic and a high population density. There has been no study about the presence of PFAS in private wells in Orange County previously. Priority areas designated by NYS are as follows: City/Town Rank Town of Newburgh 1 Warwick 2 Montgomery 3 Wallkill 4 Goshen 5 Deerpark 6 Blooming Grove 7 Wawayanda 8 Chester 9 New Windsor 10 The full listing and map are on the OCDOH webpage: OCDOH PFAS webpage: https://www.orangecountygov.com/2794/Private-Well-PFAS-Testing-and-Rebate Map: https://www.orangecountygov.com/DocumentCenter/View/37777/Priority-Locations-Map-for-Private-Well-PFAS-Testing--Mitigation-Rebate-Pilot-Program Those interested in participating in the program should be ready, willing, and able to install a PFAS treatment system. Please be aware that if you have your well water tested, you will likely have to report the test results to a prospective buyer of the property in accordance with New York Real Property Law Section 462. It is recommended that you speak to an attorney with respect to reporting such testing to buyers and renters. To learn more about the program and how to apply, please visit the OCDOH’s webpage dedicated to the program. Please read all the information carefully to make an informed decision about participation in the program. Learn more and apply through NYSDOH: health.ny.gov/PrivateWellPFAS or call 800-616-9275 or email PrivateWellPFAS@hrpassociates.com. Related Articles Orange County Executive Order: Burn Ban - State of Emergency Declared on October 28th Executive Steven M. Neuhaus Issues Burn Ban Executive Order COUNTY OF ORANGE EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 13 OF 2024 DECLARING A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN ORANGE COUNTY DUE TO PROLONGED DRY WEATHER CONDITIONS AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN BURNING ACTIVITIES I, Steven M. Neuhaus, County Executive of the County of Orange, State of New York, do hereby declare as an EXECUTIVE ORDER the following: WHEREAS, the entirety of the County of Orange (hereinafter the “County”) has been experiencing prolonged dry weather conditions over the course of several months, which has resulted in extremely dry vegetation and environmental conditions that are susceptible to fire; and WHEREAS, said prolonged dry weather has created a real, immediate and continued danger of wildfires and fire-related hazard, and the concomitant perilous effect on the lives and safety of the inhabitants that live in the effected portions of the County, and which require immediate measures to protect the lives, health and safety of the public; and WHEREAS, local fire officials are reporting elevated fire danger levels that are a direct threat to the lives, health and safety of the residents and visitors in the County; and WHEREAS, the National Integrated Drought Information System currently lists the County as being “Abnormally Dry” and provides that September 2024 was the 8th driest September on record for Orange County over the past 130 years; and WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 24 of the Executive Law of the State of New York, the County Executive of Orange County, as its Chief Executive, is authorized to proclaim a local state of emergency within any part or all of the territorial limits of the County of Orange, and in connection therewith the County Executive may promulgate local emergency orders to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation under control. NOW, THEREFORE, I, Steven M. Neuhaus, as County Executive and Chief Executive of the County of Orange, New York do hereby find the public safety to be imperiled by the present and imminent conditions created by the above-referenced weather conditions and the resulting risk of fire and fire-related hazards to the lives of residents, officials, rescue workers and other in the County of Orange and, consequently, to safeguard the lives, health, safety and property of the public, I do hereby declare a STATE OF EMERGENCY for the entirety of the County of Orange pursuant to, inter alia, New York State Executive Law Sections 24 and 25, beginning at 1:00 p.m. this date, October 28, 2024, and continuing until such time that I declare the State of Emergency is no longer necessary or such declaration expires by law, whichever is first; and I FURTHER ORDER, that as a result of my Declaration of a State of Emergency and above findings, that for the duration of this Declaration and Order subject to extensions, if necessary, that the following is hereby PROHIBITED within the boundaries of the County of Orange: All outdoor burning of any material, including, but not limited to, yard waste, household paper products, bonfires, campfires, warming fires, outdoor fireplaces, outdoor chimneys and any cooking fires unless such an activity is expressly authorized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The following exceptions shall apply to the above list: (i) outdoor cooking for food exclusively is permitted within a contained gas or charcoal grill; (ii) any firefighting training; and (iii) any burn operations expressly approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Pursuant to New York Executive Law § 24(5), any person who knowingly violates this Executive Order is guilty of a class B misdemeanor. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately and, pursuant to New York Executive Law § 24(3) shall be (1) signed in quadruplicate, (2) published as soon as practicable in a newspaper of general circulation in Orange County and transmitted to the radio and television media for publication and broadcast, and (3) filed within 72 hours or as soon thereafter as practicable in the (i) office of the Clerk of the County Legislature, (ii) office of the County Clerk, (iii) office of the Secretary of State, and (iv) State Office of Emergency Management within the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, either directly and/or through the County of Orange Division of Emergency Management. ORDERED this 28th day of October, 2024 Hon. Steven M. Neuhaus FEMA Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers Open to Orange County Residents FEMA will open Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers in Orange County this week for residents who were affected by Hurricane Ida to get answers to their disaster-related questions, get help uploading documents and get referrals to federal and state agencies. Locations, dates and time are as follows: Orange County -- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Town of New Windsor Community Center 555 Union Avenue New Windsor, NY 12553 Wednesday, Dec. 15 and Thursday, Dec. 16 Munger Cottage Senior Center 19 Little League Drive Cornwall, NY 12518 Saturday, Dec. 18, Sunday, Dec. 19, and Monday, Dec. 20 Survivors do not need to visit a recovery center to apply for FEMA assistance. You can apply online at DisasterAssistance.gov, use the FEMA mobile app or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. If you use video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service. Helpline operators are available from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Press 2 for Spanish. Press 3 for an interpreter who speaks your language. FEMA works closely with the U.S. Small Business Administration, which provides low-interest disaster loans for homeowners, renters and businesses. Some applicants for FEMA assistance may be referred to SBA. If you are referred and SBA determines that you are not eligible for a loan, SBA will refer you back to FEMA, which may open the door to additional FEMA assistance. For official information on New York’s recovery effort, visit fema.gov/disaster/4615. Follow FEMA on Twitter at twitter.com/femaregion2 and on Facebook at facebook.com/fema. # # # FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters. Orange County Mobile DMV at New Windsor Town Hall on July 29th Supervisor Stephen A. Bedetti is happy to announce the Orange County Mobile DMV will be back at New Windsor Town Hall again! The mobile DMV will be here on Monday, July 29th from 10am-3:30pm. New Windsor residents can process many of the normal DMV transactions right here at town hall. Supervisor Bedetti would like to thank Orange County Clerk Kelly Eskew for once again bringing this service to our residents! Orange County Mobile DMV at Town Hall: July 2, 2025 Supervisor Stephen A. Bedetti is happy to announce the Orange County Mobile DMV will be back at New Windsor Town Hall again! The mobile DMV will be here on Wednesday, July 2nd from 10am-3:30pm. New Windsor residents can process many of the normal DMV transactions right here at town hall. Supervisor Bedetti would like to thank Orange County Clerk Kelly Eskew for once again bringing this service to our residents! Orange County Mobile DMV at Town Hall - July 6, 2026 Supervisor Stephen A. Bedetti is happy to announce the Orange County Mobile DMV will be back at New Windsor Town Hall again! The mobile DMV will be here on Wednesday, June 10th & 24th, from 10am-3:30pm. New Windsor residents can process many of the normal DMV transactions right here at town hall. Supervisor Bedetti would like to thank Orange County Clerk Kelly Eskew for once again bringing this service to our residents! Orange County Mobile DVM Office Tuesday November 18, 2025 Supervisor Stephen A. Bedetti is happy to announce the Orange County Mobile DMV will be back at New Windsor Town Hall again! The mobile DMV will be here on Tuesday, November 18th from 10am-3:30pm. New Windsor residents can process many of the normal DMV transactions right here at town hall. Supervisor Bedetti would like to thank Orange County Clerk Kelly Eskew for once again bringing this service to our residents! Comments are closed.