Water company rep says well water is safe

Nov, 10-2009 11:06 am

LINWOOD – A representative from New Jersey American Water said last week that the well on which research is being conducted by Resource Environmental LLC of Mandeville, La. is safe.

Communications and external affairs director Peter Eschbach said Resource Environmental was provided with information about the well upon request, although it was not granted access to the well near New Road and Oak Avenue.

Information on well and pipes is provided on the Department of Environmental Protection website.

“We take our drinking water quality very seriously,” said Eschbach. He noted that the well in question, New Jersey American Water Well No. 8, is not currently operational due to low demand.

“We test our wells on a regular basis and go beyond state standards,” he said.

Eschbach said there could be traces of benzene in the raw water before it enters the well, but treatment removes it before it comes through faucets in homes.

John Englehardt, president of Resource Environmental, made a presentation to Linwood City Council Oct. 28 with regard to research he is doing to determine the source of chemicals that were found in the well.

He said water samples from the well were found to contain benzene, nonpetroleum solvents and 10 to 25 parts per billion of MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether – a product no longer used in gasoline to make emissions cleaner, being replaced by ethanol. State safety standards say there should be less than 70 parts per billion, according to Englehardt.

Eschbach said Englehardt had not been in touch with the water company locally.

He said the amount of MTBE found in the sample are well below state standards.

Englehardt’s company, which is owned by petroleum companies, has been inspecting current and former gas stations to find out who may be responsible for the contamination. He said they are also installing temporary soil borings around town to observe water flow.



– Jackie Hanusey