PHILLIPSBURG — Phillipsburg’s water problems are potentially brighter.
Mary Combs and Jackie Wysong of the board of public affairs told the village council on Oct. 24 (a meeting postponed a week due to lack of a quorum) that the board had just that morning contacted an engineering company to retest the wells.
Earlier, the Environmental Protection Agency had found large amounts of PFAs, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in two of the village’s four wells.
These substances are widely used, long lasting chemicals which break down very slowly over time, and exposure to some may be linked to harmful health effects.
But only the village wells that link to the water tower were tested, and Water Commissioner Wendell Harleman said that the other two, that do not draw water from the contaminated aquifer, may be clean.
If so, the village may be able to cap the two contaminated wells and drill a third one using uncontaminated groundwater.
Other solutions would include a large facility to prove a carbon filter, ionization or reverse osmosis.
The BPA has also contacted the City of Union to see if the village could contract to get water from Union, where there is no contamination.
Once the testing is done, the engineering company will prepare a proposal to the Ohio Water Development Authority for a loan application. Wysong said the village solicitor, Jason Treherne, will look over the proposal.
The board hopes to have all this completed by Nov. 1, although Wysong admitted this is unlikely, and the next date for submission will be Jan. 1. Although the applications will not be acted upon until March, Wysong said an early submission will be at the top of the list for consideration.
Wysong said it is also possible the village may qualify for a “disadvantaged loan program” or an “emerging contaminant forgiveness program,” which may mean the village would not have to pay back the loan.
The village has also agreed to enter into a class action suit against the makers of the PFAs. While such a suit does not produce a large amount of money for each of the many plaintiffs, it will not cost the village anything to participate.
The board members have been assured the contamination was not the result of farming activity. (There is some evidence that the substances reached the aquifer from, in part, firefighting foam used over the years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Dayton International Airport and other firefighting exercises.)
Combs also pointed out that a third member of the board, Sheryl Riffle, will retire at the end of the year, and said the board is looking for a third member.
The board meets on the second Thursday of every month, with the next meeting being on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the municipal building at 10868 Brookville-Phillipsburg Rd.
