County: All private-well owners should test for arsenic
All private-well owners in Monroe County should test their supply for the toxic metal arsenic, the county health department said this morning.
The department is making the recommendation as a result of the discovery of arsenic in dozens of private wells in west Webster, at levels as much as four times higher than the drinking-water guideline, spokesman John Ricci said.
As the Democrat and Chronicle reported last month, officials are unsure of the source or scope of the contamination, which first came to light last fall. Some affected Webster residents had criticized the county and town governments for not publicizing the problem and reacting more aggressively to it.
The recommendation issued this morning is that each of the 5,000 or so well-owners in the county test their water at least once for arsenic. The health department also is recommending annual testing for coliform bacteria, nitrates, sodium and turbidity.
Those relatively common constituents are what well-owners typically test for on their own. Most well-owners would not have their water tested for arsenic unless warned they should do so, experts have told the Democrat and Chronicle.
There are no state or local laws that require testing of wells in Monroe County.
Private laboratories, as well as the health department, can conduct the tests. The department would charge $115 for all the recommended testing, and $80 for the arsenic work by itself, Ricci said.
