EPA Completes Drinking Water Sampling in Dimock,
Pa.
PHILADELPHIA (July 25, 2012) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
announced today that it has completed its sampling of private drinking water
wells in Dimock, Pa. Data previously supplied to the agency by residents, the
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Cabot Oil and Gas
Exploration had indicated the potential for elevated levels of water
contaminants in wells, and following requests by residents EPA took steps to
sample water in the area to ensure there were not elevated levels of
contaminants. Based on the outcome of that sampling, EPA has determined that
there are not levels of contaminants present that would require additional
action by the Agency.
“Our goal was to
provide the Dimock community with complete and reliable information about the
presence of contaminants in their drinking water and to determine whether
further action was warranted to protect public health,” said EPA Regional
Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “The sampling and an evaluation of the
particular circumstances at each home did not indicate levels of contaminants
that would give EPA reason to take further action. Throughout EPA's work in
Dimock, the Agency has used the best available scientific data to provide
clarity to Dimock residents and address their concerns about the safety of their
drinking water.”
EPA visited
Dimock, Pa. in late 2011, surveyed residents regarding their private wells and
reviewed hundreds of pages of drinking water data supplied to the agency by
Dimock residents, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and
Cabot. Because data for some homes showed elevated contaminant levels and
several residents expressed concern about their drinking water, EPA determined
that well sampling was necessary to gather additional data and evaluate whether
residents had access to safe drinking water.
Between January
and June 2012, EPA sampled private drinking water wells serving 64 homes,
including two rounds of sampling at four wells where EPA was delivering
temporary water supplies as a precautionary step in response to prior data
indicating the well water contained levels of contaminants that pose a health
concern. At one of those wells EPA did find an elevated level of manganese in
untreated well water. The two residences serviced by the well each have water
treatment systems that can reduce manganese to levels that do not present a
health concern.
As a result of
the two rounds of sampling at these four wells, EPA has determined that it is no
longer necessary to provide residents with alternative water. EPA is working
with residents on the schedule to disconnect the alternate water sources
provided by EPA.
Overall during
the sampling in Dimock, EPA found hazardous substances, specifically arsenic,
barium or manganese, all of which are also naturally occurring substances, in
well water at five homes at levels that could present a health concern. In all
cases the residents have now or will have their own treatment systems that can
reduce concentrations of those hazardous substances to acceptable levels at the
tap. EPA has provided the residents with all of their sampling results and has
no further plans to conduct additional drinking water sampling in
Dimock.
For more information on the results of sampling, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/states/pa.html .
