“At this point nobody knows exactly where it came from,” said Daniel Chatfield, Clark County Combined Health District environmental health director.
“We want to study more to see how far this contaminant goes,” he said. “We just don’t know yet.”
Health district and EPA officials both say testing will continue in the area. They estimate there are more than 100 wells in the village.
In the meantime, the health district is advising those in wells in western Donnelsville to use bottled water for drinking or use a home filtration system.
PCE is a man-made chemical that is widely used for dry cleaning clothes and degreasing metal, according to the Ohio EPA.
The testing found no samples that pose an immediate health risk, but the nine had enough to pose a potential long-term increased risk of cancer. Owners of the 36 wells tested were notified of the results.
Ohio EPA spokeswoman Heather Lauer said the area had been on a list for testing since the 1990s, but the agency was surprised at the results.
“We didn’t expect to see kind of a cluster or concentration on the western side of town,” she said.
For more information or to inquire about a testing kit, call the health district at (937) 390-5600 ext. 239.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0374 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.
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