News
State Tests Find Contamination in Private Wells

The wells were found to contain high levels of TCE, an industrial solvent and a potential carcinogen.

by David Bergengren

SOUTHAMPTON- The state Department of Environmental Protection has found trichloroethylene contamination in 14 private wells of Cook and County roads and in seven wells in nearby areas of Holyoke.

The DEP will meet with officials here in Monday to discuss options for addressing the problem.

"We wouldn't recommend drinking water at any of these levels for a long period of time, " said the DEP's Alan Weinberg, speaking of TCE levels ranging from 6.2 to 30.4 parts-per-billion that were found in six local wells, as well as four in Holyoke. Weinberg is deputy regional director of DEP's Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup.

State and federal maximum levels for TCE in drinking water are five parts-per-billion. Eight other wells in Southampton, and three more in Holyoke showed sign of TCE contamination below this level.

TCE, an industrial solvent used primarily as a degreaser or cleaning agent, is considered a potential carcinogen, according to a DEP notice dated March 10.

The DEP, which first discovered a TCE problem in Easthampton's water several years ago, has extended its testing from the Hendrick Street area of Easthampton southwest and east into Southampton and Holyoke, Weinberg said.

As of Friday, 82 private wells in Southampton and another 34 in Holyoke have been tested.

Though one goal is to find the source or sources of the TCE contamination which appears to be fairly widespread in the southern portion of the Barnes Aquifer, which runs from Northampton to the Westfield River, a more immediate goal is to provide clean, safe drinking water for area residents currently using private wells, Weinberg said.

In the short term, DEP is providing bottled water to residents whose well water tests near the maximum recommended levels of TCE, and in the near future may install whole-house filters for them as well.

An extension of the public water supply to the affected area is probably the best long-term solution, Weinberg said.

Southampton Water Superintendent Joseph Slattery agreed, saying he would take part in Monday's meeting aimed at finding a remedy for the problem.