DELMAR, Del. - The most recent testing of untreated well water throughout the state of Delaware has uncovered some alarming results. The U.S. Geological Survey report found several chemicals in the water.
Researchers say the chemicals that were found are commonly called PFAS. It’s found in things like firefighting foam, food takeout packaging, and carpets. The levels of PFAS found in the untreated well water were low.
However, researchers say the chemicals were found in wells statewide and that has many people demanding answers.
Tashe Williams lives in Laurel and gets his water from a well. Williams says it's worrisome anytime you hear about chemicals in well water.
“It's concerning in a sense that we don’t know exactly what it is. What are the things that can happen if you are drinking this kind of water? Secondly, how is this going to be treated. What's going to be done about it?” says Williams.
The testing started in 2018. the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 30 wells statewide. It says various levels of PFAS were found in 16 of them.
Casey Ashley lives in Delmar and is a mother of two. She says she's looking to buy land with well water but now is questioning that decision.
“Before we buy land or looking into buying another house that has well water, we would probably look into how we would treat it and have it tested before we even bought it. If it was something that was easily found in soil and stuff like that, then we would probably look elsewhere,” says Ashley.
In a statement to WBOC, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control acknowledges the test results stating: "It found a variety of types of PFAS in untreated well water with generally low concentrations."
DNREC also says it has been sampling groundwater for years to determine the extent of PFAS contamination in Delaware. The agency says as researchers strive to better understand the possible health effects of PFAS that testing will continue.