FALMOUTH – A clean up team from the Air Force continues to monitor private wells in Falmouth and Mashpee for contaminants resulting from the use of firefighting foam on Joint Base Cape Cod.
An update was given to the Falmouth Board of Health recently on six wells on Currier Road which tested above acceptable levels of perfluorinated compounds in the summer.
One well fell below the level of concern, according to Community involvement lead Doug Karson.
“The immediate charge we have from the Air Force is to mitigate exposure and risk and that’s what we’ve done,” Karson said. “As soon as we get results back that show any type of human health issue we go out and provide the bottled water and notice.”
Three home owners opted to have carbon water-filtration systems installed and two elected to continue receiving bottled water.
Affected private wells are also being tested every three months.
The contaminants came from wastewater that flowed from the base through infiltration trenches. The water through the trench was shut off in October of 2015.
“So now those wells are getting back filled with ambient water that doesn’t have PFOS or PFOA in it or dioxane,” said Rose Forbes, the remediation director for the Air Force. “So it’s going to from North to South as the ambient groundwater migrates down through that area.”
The team is also monitoring the area near Ashument and Johns Ponds after contaminants were found.
“We also have a trailer park in Mashpee that we are dealing with [that has] about 70 residences that are getting bottled water right now,” Karson said. “We are looking at the possibility for a municipal water connection down the road that would alleviate the need for bottled water and testing.”
About CapeCod.com NewsCenter
