Harford County Receives Delayed Notification of Contaminated Water

By Daniel Hawn

Published on September 14, 2006

The letters were sent after county officials were notified of the results of state tests showing groundwater contamination at a former gas station. The contamination site is now home to a convenience store that sits adjacent to an elementary school.

The test results indicated that methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, was present in the water at a level of 10,000 parts per billion (ppb). Federal guidelines require corrective action whenever drinking water contains more than 20 ppb of MTBE.

The tests also showed that the water contained the chemical benzene, another gas additive, at a level of 171 ppb, 166 ppb higher than the federal standard for drinking water.

Although the tests were conducted in June, the county was not told of the results until late last month – almost seven weeks after they became available. An official with the Maryland Department of the Environment's oil control program said the delay was caused by a clerical mistake.

Susan Kelly, the director of Harford’s environmental health program, said the test results suggest that the contamination is highly localized. She said the situation does not appear to represent an immediate health risk, but added that additional testing is needed to assess the exact extent of the contamination.

Comment on this article →