Published in the Ocean County Observer
United Water Toms River mixed water from its well 20, which has higher-than-average levels of naturally occurring radiation, into its customer supply last weekend without notifying the public.
That's an insult to the company's ratepayers, who deserve enough notice to be able to make a choice about whether to consume water from the controversial well.
Water company officials say well 20 water meets drinking water standards on its own, and water mixed with well 20 and other company wells contains less radioactive material.
We believe the people who live in the company's service area should be able to decide whether they want to drink water from well 20, even if it is diluted.
Dover officials said they were not notified about well 20 water use, but United Water said it called officials and left a message as a courtesy.
We believe more than courtesy is involved. The firm has a moral obligation to warn all officials and residents in its service area -- Dover, Berkeley and South Toms River -- before it uses well 20.
John F. Russo and John Furey, Dover's Democratic committeemen, want the wells near the toxic plume of contamination from the Reich Farm Superfund site shut down. Ocean County's 10th District Republican lawmakers also want the water company to avoid using all Parkway field wells. That would be fine with us, but it won't happen anytime soon. They're awaiting results of an engineering study on alternative sources and costs.
Toms River residents have serious concerns about a childhood cancer cluster. Higher -than-normal occurrences of brain and central nervous system cancers strike Toms River's children. An ongoing state and federal investigation has reached no conclusions definitively linking local water supplies or any other private, public or environmental cause with the childhood cancer cluster. But a water supplier in a community so vitally concerned with its children's health must realize any threat, real or perceived, can prompt fears.
That's why we think it's crucial for United Water Toms River to give the people who pay them for supplying water enough advance notice -- through television, radio, newspapers and any other means -- so the people can decide whether to drink well 20 water or rely on bottled water until well 20 use is over.
Published on May 11, 2001
|
