Mike Macaulay has been collecting samples from his water filter for the past several years.

He's worried his well is being contaminated with harmful pollutants that may have seeped through the ground from a former insulation and satellite dish business once located nearby years ago.
 
"It's been a nightmare. It's just been one horrible mess," said Macaulay.
 
But he's fighting an even bigger battle - trying to convince someone to take his concerns seriously.

He wants the state Department of Environmental Conservation to undertake site investigations and testing to see if residual toxic contamination still remains in the ground and water.

But a DEC official we spoke with says the agency doesn't have a dedicated funding source to pursue that kind of investigation.
 
"I don't like it. It scares me to death," said Macaulay.
 
Macaulay says his problems began six years ago, when the owner of a now idled sawmill operation first began doing site work.

That's when, he says, his water suddenly turned dirty and undrinkable.

Since then he has used a water filter while independent private tests have detected levels of lead that come and go.

His pet dog developed sores and a swollen liver and eventually had to be euthanized.

Despite meetings with the DEC, health officials and politicians, Macaulay says he has been stonewalled.

But Fowler town officials say his concerns may be legitimate.
 
"I don't believe that the DEC has done as thorough an investigation as they could," said Fowler Town Supervisor Michael Cappellino
 
We spoke with other neighbors in the area who told us they haven't experienced any water contamination issues.

Our cameras did find a small section of soil void of any vegetation with the exception of a few small trees.

Current saw mill owner, Greg Hoppel, doesn't believe Macaulay's claims are valid.
 
"To the best of my knowledge, there's no contamination of any type on that property," said Hoppel.
 
For now, Mike Macauley can only wait for someone to acknowledge his environmental concerns.