E-mail Story
Print Friendly
Send E-mail
Reprint story
Journal North: Home | Sports | Opinion | Obits | Entertainment
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Testing Urged for County Wells
By Kiera Hay
Journal Staff Writer
A spurt of recent test results showing unexpected contamination in some private Santa Fe County wells is prompting a collective offer by several government agencies for free well water testing next week.
Arsenic, nitrate, radium, uranium and water-softener salt contamination have been found in private wells in areas either previously unknown for such contamination or registering higher-than-expected levels, government officials said.
“Although the contamination seems to be limited to discrete areas and most well water in the region is of good quality, the residents and owners of all households served by a private domestic well are advised to get their water tested,” said a press release issued by Santa Fe County.
The situation can be described as scattered “pockets of contamination,” said Dennis McQuillan, environmental health manager for the New Mexico Environment Department.
“People shouldn't panic, but they should take advantage of the free testing. This is an unprecedented opportunity for people to get extensive testing,” he said.
Among the recent findings, conducted by city, state and county officials:
n Nitrate levels in some wells in the Agua Fria area are about 60 parts per billion, three times higher than that seen in previous testing. Historically, between 10 percent and 20 percent of the wells in Agua Fria have shown high nitrate levels, McQuillan said.
n Arsenic northwest of Santa Fe, in the area near Las Campanas. The contamination appears to come from some sort of upwelling that's carrying the arsenic to the aquifer from deeper water, according to McQuillan.
n Radium in the Glorieta area. Radium has been found in nearby Cañoncito, McQuillan noted, but this is the first time levels higher than the maximum allowed have been seen in Glorieta.
n Nitrate and water-softener salt in the Eldorado area.
n Uranium in a well in the Hyde Park area.
The contaminants are all treatable, McQuillan said, and residents shouldn't worry about continuing to drink from their wells while testing is being done.
“We don't have anything in Santa Fe that would call for such a drastic measure (as no longer drinking the water), but we encourage people to come forward for the free testing,” he said.
McQuillan did note that high nitrate levels have been linked to a potentially fatal blood disorder in infants known as “blue-baby” syndrome, and that high uranium levels in drinking water may cause kidney stress for diabetics.
The source of most of the contamination appears to be natural, McQuillan said. The notable exception is nitrate, which officials believe could be coming from septic tank effluent in rural areas and fertilizer in areas closer to the city.
Areas eligible for free testing include the city of Santa Fe, north to Tesuque, east to Cañoncito and Glorieta, south to Lamy, Eldorado and La Cienega, and west to the Rio Grande.
Officials said tests will include field and lab analysis for about 50 chemical parameters. All the testing except that for radium will be processed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Radium testing will be done at a state lab in Albuquerque.
Many of the private wells in the area have never been tested, or, if they have, the tests did not include all contaminants that are being offered in current tests, McQuillan said. Results on the radium contamination, in particular, have the potential to yield some “pretty profound discoveries,” he said.
Wells will be tested next week, and results will be ready in about four to six weeks. People will be notified by mail if everything checks out fine, while those with wells showing unacceptable levels of contamination will be contacted first by phone.
Testing is voluntary, as is any action a well owner may take if contamination is found. The state only advises people on possible treatment, McQuillan said.
Cooperating agencies include the N.M. Environment Department, city of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Water tests
You also can send comments via our comment form
|
|
