E.P.A. Continues to Ask Washington County Residents to Test Drinking Water for Contamination

(Old Mines) If you live in Washington County where historic mining took place, you may have contaminated drinking water.

Steve Sturgess is with the Environmental Protection Agency.

He says the E.P.A. is dealing with high lead levels and other heavy metal contaminants in hundreds of residences’ water wells throughout the Washington County E.P.A. Superfund sites at Furnace Creek, Old Mines, Potosi and Richwoods.

Sturgess says the E.P.A. has experimented to remedy the issue by digging new water wells from a deeper aquifer.

However, Sturgess says other contaminants have showed up in those new wells.

He says as of now, continuing on with the filtration system is the only thing they can offer at the moment.

In July, public meetings were held to give Washington County residents an update on the situation and let them know about their proposed plan to continue distributing the free water filtration systems to residents with contaminated water.

Sturgess says the filters do work.

Residents of Washington County have until Thursday, August 18th if they would like to comment on the E.P.A.’s four proposed plans of action, including their recommended action of continuing as is with the distribution of free water filtration systems to those with contaminated water.

Go to mymoinfo.com and find this story in local news and you will find a link to the E.P.A.’s website where you can comment on the issue.

https://www.epa.gov/mo/washington-county-lead-district-national-priority-list-npl-superfund-sites-washington-county

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