New York has long boasted about the quality of its drinking water. However, plans to drill for natural gas near the watersheds that supply New York City may change that.

New York State hopes to bring in nearly $1 billion in revenue by permitting natural gas drilling upstate. In May, state environmental officials told New York lawmakers that the drilling will be safe.

But a joint investigation published by ProPublica and WNYC this week found that “this type of drilling has caused significant environmental harm in other states and could affect the watershed that supplies New York City’s drinking water.”

Here’s more from ProPublica:

In New Mexico, oil and gas drilling that uses waste pits comparable to those planned for New York has already caused toxic chemicals to leach into the water table at some 800 sites. Colorado has reported more than 300 spills affecting its ground water.

[snip]

“This is not New Mexico, this is not Colorado, this is New York,” said [Val Washington, a New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) official]. “Out of 13,000 wells that we have permitted, we have not, for example, had a single ground water problem with any of them.”

In conversations with ProPublica, DEC officials repeatedly downplayed the importance of the chemical additives. They make up just a tiny fraction of a percent of the fluids, Field said, because 99.4 percent is water and sand. But the remaining six-tenths of one percent of two million gallons of drilling water still equals 10,000 gallons of toxic chemicals — and that’s just for one well.

When pressed on whether New York would require the names of those chemicals as a prerequisite for approving an application in the Marcellus, Field said, “I don’t know. We’d have to take a look. I can’t say for sure right now.”

You can also listen to the report, courtesy WNYC:

Abrupt shift from New York State officials

Hours after ProPublica and WNYC published their joint investigation, Judith Enck, deputy secretary for the environment for Gov. David Paterson, told WNYC that “New York state will require drilling companies to disclose all chemicals used to exploit natural gas deposits in upstate New York.”

Listen to Enck’s interview:

Still, drilling for natural gas produces millions of gallons of waste water laced with toxins — hydrocarbons, cancer-causing compounds including Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, and even radioactivity from uranium ore. Despite the abrupt departure in state officials’ attitudes toward the disclosure of what chemicals are involved in drilling, it is not clear what will be done with the waste water.

How well is the New York City Memorandum of Agreement of 1997 working?

The New York City Memorandum of Agreement of 1997 is intended to protect the quality, affordability and availability of the drinking water of almost 10 million residents of New York City and surrounding counties. The Agreement has also offered economic programs to upstate communities, in return for their cooperation with water quality protection programs.

Watch a panel discuss about the agreement from Thirteen Forum:

Traces of Common Pharmaceuticals in U.S. Drinking Water

Contaminants from drilling aren’t the only threat drinking water faces. A recent investigation by the Associated Press found trace amounts of many types of pharmaceuticals — including painkillers, antibiotics and anti-seizure medications — in the drinking water of 24 American cities. Read the report at the Online NEWSHOUR.

Bottled water boom?

Will drilling upstate lead to a renaissance for bottled water, which both environmentalists and government officials have criticized for being wasteful? Read a FRONTLINE/WORLD report about what’s in your bottle.

You can also tap into the story of America’s second most popular beverage (after soda) in P.O.V.’s exploration of the myths and realities of the bottled water industry, including a look at New Yorkers who spurn their faucets for the bottle.

Do you drink bottled or tap?

Describe your (water) drinking habits in the comments field below. Which do you prefer: bottled or tap? Will you take up the bottle after reading ProPublica and WNYC’s report? Discuss.