Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER--Continued hot, dry weather forced United Water Toms River to activate a well that contains elevated levels of naturally occurring radioactivity.
George Flegal, United's assistant manager, said higher than normal water demand caused the company to activate Well 20 yesterday. The well has been off-line for most of the past 2 ½ years because of high radiation levels.
Flegal said United placed Well 20 in the system after the company's 45,000 customers used more than 20 million gallons of water on each of the last four days. He said the company's water storage facilities were nearly depleted Monday.
"We weren't able to recover" enough overnight Monday to avoid using Well 20, Flegal said.
United officials also spoke yesterday to New Jersey-American Water Co. about turning on an emergency interconnection that can supply an additional 1 million gallons of water a day.
Flegal said New Jersey-American officials told United that it would take them several hours to activate the connection. The extra supply should be available today if United needs it, Flegal said.
Flegal noted that while Well 20 has elevated radiation levels, United's water continues to meet all state and federal drinking water standards, because water from that well is blended with water from other wells before it enters anyone's home.
But the fact that the water meets state and federal standards does not reassure Linda L. Gillick, who chairs the Citizen's Action Committee on the Childhood Cancer Cluster.
Gillick and other members of the committee have repeatedly criticized drinking water standards, which do not take into account dozens of chemical compounds, such as styrene acrylonitrile trimer, which has been found in small amounts in three United Water Toms River wells.
Gillick said yesterday she was disturbed that local radio stations were apparently not aware that Well 20 had been turned on and were not reporting it to residents. After wells 20, 26 and 28 were activated during the hot, dry summer of 1997, state health and environmental officials agreed that the community should be notified when those wells were activated.
Well 26 and 28 capture and treat a plume of ground-water contamination from the Reich Farm Superfund site. Those wells have been used rarely in the drinking water system since trace amounts of the trimer were found in the water.
Flegal said state officials will be in the area tomorrow and will conduct tests on the water system to make sure the drinking water meets all standards for radiation. He did not rule out activating wells 26 and 28 if the hot, dry weather continues, and customers do not conserve more.
United customers interested in knowing which wells are being used can call (732) 349-0227, Ext. 3034.
Source: Asbury Park Press
Published: June 9, 1999
|
