York Analytical Laboratories, Inc. Acquires Fairfield County Laboratory to Expand Drinking Water Services; Launches Drinking Water Testing Service for Homeowners
NYACK, NY (January 3, 2022) – The presence of “forever chemicals” in private wells and public water supplies has created an escalating drinking water crisis throughout greater New York, Hudson Valley region and Connecticut. To provide vital water quality testing services to homeowners and property owners in this region, York Analytical Laboratories Inc. (YORK) has acquired Aqua Environmental Lab, Inc. (Newtown, CT) and will expand Aqua’s facility to accommodate additional testing capacity.
“For over 30 years, York Analytical has been the laboratory of choice for environmental professionals in the greater NY, NJ, CT region. As detection of PFAS (forever chemicals) in drinking water rapidly escalates, we have invested in building a best-in-class residential water testing service so people can be proactive and find out what’s really in their water from a trusted local and state NELAC-licensed laboratory,” says Michael J. Beckerich, President and CEO of York Analytical, and a lifelong Rockland County native.
“With Aqua Environmental’s team and facilities complementing our existing PFAS laboratory, we will offer all-inclusive drinking water analytical services to homeowners and local drinking water permit holders in Connecticut, Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island,” notes Beckerich. “Aqua Environmental founder Tom Braun is one of region’s most respected potable water analyses experts and we are very pleased to have him help York Analytical in this new exciting chapter for the company.”
Find Out What’s Really in Your Water!
York Analytical’s newly created YorkLabWaterTest.com offers a simple and direct online testing order interface, with a choice of five drinking water testing options, including the new PFAS Water Test. Both private well water and municipal drinking water can be tested. Once testing is complete, York provides clients with an easy-to-read report with an interpretive guide of the results.
Should a client’s water need to be treated to correct unfavorable results or provide an extra level of protection against unsafe water, York Analytical offer a list of reputable contractors to help treat any condition that does not meet primary or secondary drinking water standards. YorkLabWaterTest.com also offers homeowners and real estate professionals a comprehensive list of relevant third-party news and information resources, including EPA, state and local water safety guidelines.
There are currently five Service Hubs in New York and Connecticut where people can pick up and drop off their water sample testing kits. York Analytical is partnering with businesses such as real estate agencies and water treatment companies to expand the number of pick-up and drop-off locations throughout the region.
Certified water analysis is required for sale or transfer of residential or business properties, while drinking water permits are mandated for businesses serving the public.
Basic drinking water tests for hardness, pH, alkalinity, and government-regulated contaminants have been long been available to consumers. However, Consumer Reports, the Environmental Protection Agency and both the New York and Connecticut Dept of Public Health Drinking Water Sections recommends testing your water using a state-approved certified laboratory.
Testing for PFAS: An Emerging Crisis
Perhaps the most impactful health risk evidence of PFAS exposure came from research on 69,000 people in and around Parkersburg, West Virginia. As depicted in the 2019 movie “Dark Waters,” the research found a “probable link” between exposure to a type of PFAS and six health problems: high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and testicular and kidney cancers. Research has also linked some PFAS to learning delays in children.
Manufacturers use PFAS to make stain-resistant fabrics and carpets, water-repellent clothing, nonstick cookware, and hundreds of other common products. The compounds seep into water from factories, landfills, and other sources. And because they don’t easily break down in the environment, they’re often called “forever chemicals.” Until now, residential owners and property owners that want or need water quality testing for “forever chemicals” can’t get it easily because PFAS is an unregulated contaminant.
“In the last two years, testing for PFAS and “forever chemicals” has more than doubled and grown to over 10% of our overall business,” says Beckerich. “The tests are very complex – when we’re analyzing PFAS the results are measured in parts per trillion, the equivalent of a few droplets in an Olympic swimming pool. In the past few years, York has invested significant resources to obtain NELAC regulatory licensing for PFAS in drinking water, wastewater, groundwater and soil. We are very proud to now be able to offer this specialized service to people in our communities.”
ABOUT YORK ANALYTICAL
Since 1990, York Analytical Laboratories, Inc. has been the region’s most respected name in industrial and environmental testing, with 30 years of comprehensive analyses of water, soil and air for regulated contaminants. York is one of the largest independent, owner-operated environmental laboratory companies in the Northeast, with locally based labs throughout Hudson Valley, Connecticut and New York City. In 2018, York moved its corporate headquarters to Nyack, NY and opened the region’s first and largest PFAS testing laboratory in Queens, NY.
For more information about York Analytical visit https://yorklab.com/.
Media contact:
David Thompson
Bongo Agency
david@bongoagency.com