Some Cayuga County municipalities and environmental groups are filing a second lawsuit against the state Department of Health over the rules and regulations of Owasco Lake.
When Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino was campaigning for his position in 2023, he said the biggest concern he noted from residents was over access to safe drinking water.
"The number one issue that people wanted to talk to me about on doors, and I knocked on over 4,000 doors, was drinking water," Giannetino said. "And they wanted to know what the state of New York was doing to protect their drinking water."
According to the Owasco Lake Watershed Management Council, Owasco Lake supplies drinking water to over 50% of Cayuga County residents, including those who live in Auburn. In 2016, local municipalities surrounding the lake including the city of Auburn and town of Owasco were directed by the state to form new rules and regulations to govern the body of water. New rules were proposed in 2020 but were rejected by the state just last year. After already appealing to the state once, the city of Auburn, town of Owasco and Owasco Watershed Association filed a second lawsuit against the state Department of Health to overturn that decision. Giannettino said it should be a no-brainer.
"There is no logical explanation," Giannetino said. "When I talk to the local folks in the Department of Health, they are disheartened that the state Department of Health is abdicating the responsibility of clean drinking water. The governor is on record saying that every New Yorker has the right to clean drinking water -- we're doing the work locally."
Giannettino said the outcome of this case has the potential to set a precedent statewide.
