ATKINSON ? When Kathleen Dowd wants to brush her teeth, make ice cubes or boil water for pasta, she turns to bottled water.
Dowd isn't fussy, but her well water is contaminated and not safe to drink.
She lives on Belknap Drive, where the state Department of Environmental Services recently found elevated levels of the cancer-causing chemical 1,4 Dioxane in residents' wells.
"We got a notice that there was a problem in the water," Dowd said. "They tested our well and said my water was almost three times higher than the amount the state allowed."
The levels of the chemical in the water are unsafe for residents to drink, according to DES hydrologist David Bowen.
"We established a health-based drinking water standard of three parts per billion," he said. "So far, we have eight houses that exceed the drinking water standard either on Emery Drive or Belknap Drive. They range up to 16 parts per billion, above the standard."
The state has done periodic testing of the neighborhood wells since 2002, when DES first found chlorinated solvent contaminants in the water. The state installed water treatment systems in many homes in the neighborhood, but this contamination is new.
"1,4 Dioxane is a solvent stabilizer that doesn't break down readily and is not removed through the water treatment," Bowen said. "It's used in a number of industries as degreasers for metals and actually contained in many household cleaning products, like shampoos."
Bowen said they haven't been able to find a cause for the contamination yet in the quiet neighborhood and it seems to be separate from the issues in 2002.
"It's a residential area and there's no obvious industry," he said. "There's some businesses a half mile away. We're looking into a number of companies that may be responsible, but we don't know what is the source."
Jane Shields has lived on Belknap Drive for 16 years and has three children she's concerned about.
"The state tested and my water is OK, but my neighbor next door is not," she said. "I'm very close to it. Because of that, we've gone to buying big jugs of water. I don't feel like I really need to freak out yet, but if I were over the levels I'd be really concerned."
Shields said she and many of her neighbors are worried about property values and she discussed selling her home with her husband.
"We're just waiting and seeing what the state does," she said. "I don't know of anybody in our neighborhood that has cancer, so that right there is something. If there were a couple neighbors struggling with cancer, I'd probably be a lot more concerned."
The risks of Dioxane exposure are serious, according to David Gordon, health risk assessor for DES.
"Exposure to high levels over time can cause liver cancer," he said. "There are non-cancer health effects, too. It can cause toxicity to the liver or kidney."
The state recommends residents do not drink their water, though they can use it for washing clothes, dishes and bathing.
"Bathing is low risk because very little goes through the skin and only a small amount becomes a gas when heated," Gordon said. "The water is really going to evaporate from dishes and the contaminate stays with the water. The main focus is on what you're drinking."
Until DES finds the cause of the contamination, the state is providing bottled water for every home in the affected area. Town Administrator William Innes said he first found out about the problem on Jan. 27 and discussed it with selectmen.
"I talked to a number of people at DES and asked what can the town do to help our residents," he said. "We're looking at ways to make it easier for residents who have this problem to get water."
DES tested the water in November and residents in the area were notified in December.
Dowd said she thought the contamination was fixed years ago and is frustrated she still has to deal with it.
"I use bottled water to brush my teeth, make ice cubes and cook with," she said. "I will drink bottled water from now on. It's not worth the risk."
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Public release date: 23-Mar-2012
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Seeking insights into the incident, I emailed Roy Eidelson and Stephen Soldz, past-presidents of Psychologists for Social Responsibility, a non-profit that, according to its Web site, ?applies psychological knowledge and expertise to promote peace, social justice, human rights, and sustainability.? I first encountered their work while researching a U.S. Army program ?Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.? Eidelson and Soldz are critical of CSF, which seeks to boost troops? psychological resilience. Here are excerpts from their responses to my query about the Bales incident:
If you have decided to sell your home, that last thing you want is for it to sit on the market for a long time.
