Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus has vetoed a law that would force property owners in the county to test their private wells for water contamination. The veto has triggered a debate in the county over what to do when private property becomes a public health concern.

There's been mounting unease over potential water contamination in the county. So naturally, the residents most affected by the wells, and the Board of Health, all favored the testing. According to the law, results would be compiled by the county Department of Health, and if there is contamination in a well, neighboring residents could be notified.

So if the Board of Health's on board, why did Steinhaus veto it? He says that while it's obviously a good idea for property owners to have wells free of contaminants, it should be voluntary. In a statement, he said he doesn't believe "that the overwhelming majority of residents want their county executive or other elected representatives to be dictators of private personal behaviors, intruding in private lives, and certainly not on their private personal property or in their homes."

The Poughkeepsie Journal makes a good counter point. The editorial board called on the Dutchess County Legislature "to vote to override the veto at once" because "groundwater doesn't stay in one place; it moves and, thus, it can become a legitimate and substantial public health issue. People should know what they are drinking, and the county could use the information to map out exactly where the hot spots of contamination are - and to better plan for the county's growth."

Despite the calls for an override, an article in the same newspaper said that a veto was unlikely.