MakingWaves - Water Well Reports; HABs Notifications

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation sent this bulletin on 10/01/2021 12:15 PM EDT
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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MakingWaves - News From the Division of Water

In this Issue:

  • Water Well Contractors and Reports Available Online
  • Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications

Water Well Contractors and Reports Available Online

Picture of a well

Basic well information and water well contractor search tools are available on DEC’s website.

  • You can search for a currently registered water well contractor by registration number, business name, or by the county that their office is in and the services provided.
  • Basic well information collected from over 125,000 Water Well Completion Reports is searchable by county, town, and street name or by using latitude and longitude and search radius. Information provided includes well depth, rock depth, groundwater depth, casing length, screen installation, and yield.

Water well data is also available as an Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI) shapefile from the NYS GIS Clearinghouse and in Google Earth format. Complete database extracts and pdf reports are available by request from DEC’s Central Office by submitting an online FOIL request.

Data for Nassau, Suffolk, King and Queens counties is available by request from DEC’s Stony Brook Office by submitting an online FOIL request.

If you are having a water well drilled, check out our Consumer Protection Guide (PDF) for more information.

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Notifications

Harmful Algal Bloom - pea soup

Visit NYHABS, DEC’s harmful algal bloom notification map, to view locations of freshwater HABs in New York State that were reported in the past two weeks. Click on a dot for more information, including the date it was reported, the waterbody name, and pictures. Click on the arrow at the bottom of the screen to view a list of reported HABs.

Know it. Avoid it. Report it.

If you see a HAB, please use the reporting form to submit a report to NYHABS. Because waterbodies may have HABs that have not been reported to DEC, we recommend avoiding contact with floating mats, scums, and discolored water.

If you, your family, or your pet have been in contact with a HAB, please rinse with clean water and report any symptoms to your local health department.

Consider visiting a healthcare provider if you, your family, or your animals are experiencing symptoms related to blue-green harmful algal blooms. Symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting; skin, eye, or throat irritation; and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties.