Coshocton Tribune, Nov. 15, 1994
By Patricia Viancourt
Tribune Staff Writer
WEST LAFAYETTE – A preliminary report from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency on the contamination of several area wells is leaving Village Council members with more questions.
Over the last several weeks, the EPA tested 26 sites for the presence of trichloroethylene (TCE) and a TCE byproduct, vinyl chloride. Trichloroethylene is a man-made compound used as a general solvent and degreaser, according to the EPA.
The maximum contaminant level acceptable by the EPA is five parts per billion.
EPA Tests confirmed levels as high as 365 parts per billion have been detected in the ground water within 1,000 feet of the village's water wells, and traces of vinyl chloride have been detected about 150 feet from the wells.
Utility Committee Chairman Steve Bordenkircher said it is important for residents to realize that while the contaminants have reached the well field, they are not present in the drinking water at any dangerous level.
"There is no immediate danger to life or health," he said in a written statement Monday night. "The village water is within the permissible limits established by the EPA."
But there will come a time in the future, within the next few months to two years, according to the EPA, when the wells will become contaminated and the drinking water unsafe.
"The Ohio EPA has determined that the contamination is heading in the direction of the well field," said a letter to Village Council from EPA Environmental Engineer Scot W. Foltz. "The well field should be considered to be in imminent danger of contamination."
Bordenkircher said the EPA has completed its field work and is currently in the process of interpreting the data. He said a final recommendation to the village on how it should proceed in dealing with the problem, and the source of the contamination, is expected within two months.
While not ready to point fingers, Bordenkircher said the location of the highest concentration of contamination leads him to believe it was caused by "industrial waste."
The highest concentrations were found in soil located at the Penn-Michigan site north of the railroad and west of Jones Metal. While most residents have come to the same conclusion, Bordenkircher said the EPA has not made a formal statement laying the blame.
Over exposure to the colorless, sweet-smelling liquid can cause skin irritation, headaches, nausea and vertigo, the EPA said.
Two possibilities on dealing with the contamination are construction of a water treatment plant or relocation of the village wells.
At Monday night's meeting, council members voted unanimously to retain Poggemeyer Design Group of Dublin for one year at a cost of $6,000. The firm will work with the village and the EPA in finding the most cost effective solution to the village's water problems.
How the village proceeds will depend on the information it receives from the EPA concerning the source and extent of contamination and its movement pattern.
"This has the potential to be a very expensive project," Bordenkircher said.
Issue: Drinking water must be protected from sources of contamination.
How would you make sure that the drinking water system in your community will be safe for years to come?
Protecting surface and ground water sources from contamination is one strategy to both protect public health and keep treatment costs low. Therefore, the U.S. Congress directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to guide states through a process to:
Water systems using groundwater were required to develop their own wellhead protection programs in 1986. In 1996, two important changes were passed by the U.S. Congress. All water systems were required to have and implement source water protection plans. Congress directed states to delineate source water protection areas and assess potential pollution sources.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency adopted a voluntary 10- step wellhead protection program (WHP) in May 1992. This program was expanded to a source water assessment and protection (SWAP) program in June 1999. The SWAP program is to be supported through federal funds provided to the Ohio drinking water assistance fund.