Delaware officials to pitch permanent fix to tainted drinking water

Local and state officials will meet with Blades residents on Tuesday evening to share updates on a permanent solution to the contaminated drinking water recently found in town wells.

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn Garvin said on Monday that officials plan to install a carbon-filtration system onto Blades' public water system to rid drinking water of elevated levels of perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs, in the public drinking water sources as soon as possible.

People can still get water by bringing their own containers to fill from large tanks set up by the Delaware National Guard at the fire hall between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

"We're looking to try to, at the end of this week or some time throughout the weekend, get that system in," Garvin said. "Some flushing and other things will have to happen, but that will give the residents water back into their homes that they can drink."

On Thursday night state officials announced they had discovered elevated levels of PFCs in public drinking water sources used by Blades residents and businesses.

The following day, volunteers from the Blades Volunteer Fire Company and Delaware National Guard began distributing bottled and bulk water to residents who have been told not to drink or cook with the tap water. Health officials say it is safe to bathe in and use for laundry.

People can still get water by bringing their own containers to fill from large tanks set up by the Delaware National Guard at the fire hall between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Tuesday’s meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the banquet room at the fire hall at 200 E. Fifth St.

Garvin said DNREC and the Department of Public Health are still figuring out how much the carbon-filtration system will cost and how it will be funded. He said his agency also is planning to sample other private wells in the area as officials investigate the extent of the contamination.

"The identification of the sources will be something that will take a longer period of time, which is why we want to get the carbon filtration on so that regardless, there is a surety that they're able to provide clean water," Garvin said.

PFCs include a large group of chemicals and are not regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act. The chemicals of concern found in Blades’ public wells are perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as C8 or PFOA, and perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS. Long-term exposure to PFOA and PFOS can cause development problems in fetuses or nursing infants, cancer, and can impact the liver, immune system, thyroid and cholesterol levels, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Over the last two years, the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have selected testing sites throughout Delaware based on a suspicion of PFC contamination. Those sites include New Castle, Dover Air Force Base and Blades, said Timothy Ratsep of DNREC’s site investigation and restoration section.

The concentrations of PFCs in Blades are much lower than those discovered at a site in New Castle County. The Dover Air Force Base is another location DNREC and EPA have detected PFCs, according to Ratsep.

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It is unclear how long the PFCs have been in the groundwater in Blades or where they came from, Ratsep said.

Blades has three public wells, ranging between 65 feet to 96 feet in depth, meaning they pull water from the shallowest aquifer. It is unknown how widespread the contamination is, and state officials said they are working with the EPA to investigate the pollution and its source.

Ratsep said on Friday that carbon has been proven to be effective in removing PCFs from water sources.

Public health officials and others say PFCs are a prevalent contaminant because of their wide use in a variety of industries and products, such as fire-fighting foam, Teflon and a slew of commodities that are water- or stain-resistant, such as carpets and other textiles.

"It's not unlikely folks would have trace levels in their system and in the environment around them," Garvin said. "It's important for people to know that this isn't something that is very, very uncommon."

But because PCFs are a relatively new contaminant of concern, they are not included in standard water tests. They also are unregulated, and only a handful of labs across the country have the capability to analyze water samples for the chemicals, Garvin said.

"The meeting tomorrow night will provide an opportunity to come out and have a conversation with the various government agencies responding to this," Garvin said. "We are moving quickly toward finding a more permanent solution that will allow people to get back to living their lives the way they're accustomed to and not having to go out to the fire station or hit the local grocery store (for water)."

For more information, call Blades Town Administrator Vikki Prettyman at 302-629-7366 or email her at vikkiprettyman@townofblades.com, or contact the state Office of Drinking Water at 302-741-8630.

Contact reporter Maddy Lauria at (302) 345-0608, mlauria@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @MaddyinMilford.

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