NY A04571

Establishes the Drinking Water Quality Institute within the Department of Health, composed of 17 members including state commissioners, agency directors, and 9 appointed members (3 each by the governor, senate president, and assembly speaker)

Appointed members must include representatives of water purveyors (including underground water sources), academic scientific community, and the public with environmental health backgrounds, serving staggered three-year terms

Requires the institute to recommend contaminant testing requirements for public water systems serving both populations under and over 10,000, and develop maximum contaminant levels for unregulated contaminants

Directs the institute to establish public notification processes for municipalities regarding water quality threats, develop testing techniques and frequency schedules, and coordinate with state and federal agencies on remediation funding and cleanup

Institute must meet at minimum biannually, members receive no compensation but are reimbursed for expenses, and must report annually to the legislature on activities and recommendations