HOULTON, Maine — Residents of the Houlton Mobile Home Park continue to use supplied bottled water five months after testing revealed unsafe levels of chemicals in well water at the facility revealed.
State officials announced in February that a water sample from the park’s private well confirmed the levels of poly and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs, were above those recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Representatives of the Department of Health and Human Services Drinking Water Program were involved in the water testing at the park which has 55 lots on about 19 acres located off the Old Woodstock Road, near Houlton International Airport.
Michael Plaziak, team supervisor for the Maine Drinking Water Program, said Wednesday that testing continues in the area to determine the source of the contamination and to help management at the park decide what to do next.
PFASs are man-made chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products worldwide since the 1950s. They have been used in non-stick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain resistant fabrics and carpets, some cosmetics, some firefighting foams, and products that resist grease, water, and oil.
The EPA has a drinking water health advisory level of 70 per parts trillion for PFASs. A water sample collected in November from the well that serves the Houlton Mobile Home Park resulted in a reading of 70.6 parts per trillion. A second water sample in December also tested unsafe to drink.
Plaziak said the mobile home park owners have applied for a grant to conduct a feasibility study to help determine whether to restore water to the park from a well or use another source. He said that the Houlton Water Company also has a line close by to which the park could be connected.
“They have to look into what works best for them,” he said of the park owners. “The study will help determine the next steps.”
Houlton Town Manager William MacDonald said earlier this month that he also had been keeping tabs on the situation. He said that the Department of Environmental Protection had tested a number of wells in the area and that the area of concern was “pretty narrow.”
“We want everyone in Houlton to have safe, clean drinking water,” he said. “So I am happy that these agencies are keeping tabs on the situation.”
