Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department

Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department

Elane M. Daly, R.N., B.S.N.

Director

Eileen A. O'Connor, P.E.

Environmental Health Director

November 30, 2001

Mr. William Hecht

3766 Highland Ave.

Skaneateles, NY 13 152

Dear Mr. Hecht:

Attached is the information you requested. Please call if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Eileen O'Connor

Environmental Health Director

160 Genesee Street * Auburn, New York 13021-3424. (315) 253-1405. Fax (315) 253-1478

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Environmental Health Division

Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department

Private Wells - Do You Know What's In Your Water?

During December 2000, Cayuga County residents and officials were stunned to learn that numerous private wells located in an area approximately 7 miles long and 2 miles wide between the village of Union Springs and the City of Auburn were contaminated with volatile organic chemicals. This was a shocking and unexpected development and the source of the contamination is still unknown with any certainty. The Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department would like to caution all private well owners that they should not take the quality of their well water for granted.

Keeping your well water free of harmful contaminants should be a top priority for your health. Contaminants often have no odor or color and therefore are hard to detect. They can put vour health at risk and it is difficult and expensive to remove them. Once your water becomes contaminated, the only options may be to treat your water after pumping, drill a new well, or get your water from another source.

About 35% of residents within Cayuga County use private wells to supply their drinking water. Ideally, these wells, which tap into local groundwater, are intended to provide clean, safe drinking water. However, improperly constructed or poorly maintained wells can create a pathway for contaminants or the local groundwater may have been previously contaminated. Some potential sources of ground water contamination can include septic systems, active or inactive landfills, abandoned farm or municipal dumps, storage lagoons, underground petroleum storage tanks, improperly applied fertilizers and pesticides, chemicals or other household or industrial waste that has been improperly disposed of, past chemical spills. or numerous other activities that occurred on the ground surface. To further complicate matters, groundwater contamination can often travel a considerable distance, so even though there may not appear to be any sources of local pollution, the groundwater near your proposed or existing well site could still be contaminated.

To help ensure that your well water is safe to drink, when installing a well be careful when choosing its location - keep it away from any known sources of pollution. The well driller you hire should be certified by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Most importantly, to protect your health, have your well tested once it is installed and yearly thereafter. The Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department recommends that your wellwater be tested for coliform, nitrate, and volatile organic chemicals at least once per year at a New York State certified laboratory. You can never know what might be in the groundwater that you are drinking without regular water testing. Just because no contamination has been found in your area as yet, you should not assume it may not be found in the future. Groundwater contamination can occur anywhere in the county.

For additional information on well installation, well water quality, or a list of certified laboratories, please call the Environmental Health Division of the Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department at 253-1405.

September 17, 2001

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CAYUGA COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH RESOLUTION

Testing of Private Wells

Resolution ________

WHEREAS. 35% of residents within Cayuga County use private wells to supply their drinking water: and

WHEREAS, potential sources of contamination of groundwater in Cayuga County can include septic systems, active or inactive landfills, abandoned farm or municipal dumps, storage lagoons, underground petroleum storage tanks, improperly applied fertilizers and pesticides, chemicals or other household or industrial waste that has been improperly

disposed of. past chemicals spills, or numerous other activities; and

WHEREAS. during December 2000. numerous private wells located in an area approximately 7 miles long and 2 miles wide between the village of Union Springs and the City of Auburn unexpectedly were determined to be contaminated with volatile

organic chemicals; and

WHEREAS, due to both known and unknown pollution sources, contamination of groundwater mav have occurred or may occur in the future without warning in other parts of Cayuga County; and

WHEREAS. periodic testing of private wells should be encouraged to protect the public health and ensure that families and individuals are aware of any contaminants that may be present in their well water; now. therefore. be it

RESOLVED that the Cayuga County Board of Health requests that the attached statement regarding risks associated with well water be attached to every building permit issued by all Municipal Code Enforcement Officers to all properties not on public water: and be it

RESOLVED that the Cayuga County Board of Health requests that all well drillers who install wells within Cayuga County deliver a copv to every customer prior to drilling any

wells within Cayuga County and be it further

RESOLVED that the Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department undertake a media campaign to encourage all homeowners with private wells to test their wells for

potential contaminants.

I, Dr Thomas Donnelly; President of the Cayuga County Board of Health, hereby certify that the above resolution was adopted by the Cayuga County Board of Health on

September 25, 2001.

September 25, 2001

Date

Dr. Thomas Donnelly. President

Cayuga County Board of Health

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Cayuga County Health and Human Services Department

Elane M. Daly, R.N., B.S.N.

Director

Eileen A. O'Connor, P.E.

Environmental Health Director

October 15, 2001

Addy Well Drilling & Pump Service

2507 Mayo Rd.

Genoa, NY 13071-9755

Dear Sir or Madam:

At their September 25, 2001 regular business meeting, the Cayuga County Board of

Health by formal resolution has requested that all well drillers who install wells within

Cayuga County deliver a copy of the attached statement regarding private wells to every

customer prior to drilling any wells within Cayuga County. I have also attached a copy

of this resolution for your information.

We hope that you will honor the Board's request by providing this important information

to your customers.

Please call if you have any questions or need further information. Thank you.

Sincerely

Eileen A. O'Connor

Environmental Health Division

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Addy Well Drilling & Pump Service

2507 Mayo Rd

Genoa, NY 13071-9755

(315) 364-8444

Catoh, Inc

P0 Box 560, 16 Drumlin Dr

Weedsport, NY 13166-0560

(315) 834-6603

Dick Hildreth Well Drilling

2221 Center Rd

King Ferry, NY 13081-9739

(315) 364-8913

McDermott Well Drilling

1009 Main St

Genoa, NY 13071-0094

(315) 497-1295

Norman J Hildreth Well Drilling

1018 Indian Field Rd

Genoa, NY 13071-0095

(315) 497-9192

Parry Well Drilling Co.

13212 White Rd

Cato, NY 13033-9723

(315) 626-6729

Sterling Well Drilling

1561 Old State Rd

Sterling, NY 13156-4223

(315) 947-6926

A & A Well Drilling & Backhoe, Inc.

439 Rathburn Rd

Fulton, NY 13069-4154

(315) 592-9891

Best Well Drilling

60 Best Dr

Fulton, NY 13069-4716

(315) 593-1333

Caster Well Drilling & Water Conditioning

380 Lakeshore Rd

Fulton, NY 13069-4777

(315) 593-1235

Amber Pump Service & Well Drilling

2285 Amber Rd.

Marietta, NY 13110-3103

(315) 636-8211