LONG ISLAND, NY — There’s a good chance "forever chemicals" that have been linked to cancer and other health problems will flow along with the water when Long Islanders turn on their taps, according to a new government study.

The synthetic compounds known collectively as PFAS are contaminating drinking water to varying extents in large cities and small towns — and in private wells and public systems, according to the study released by the U.S. Geological Survey. Based on the data, the researchers estimated that at least one form of PFAS could be found in about 45 percent of tap water samples nationwide.