Fox Lake-area residents told to have private wells tested for contaminants

Some Fox Lake residents who have private wells should have their water tested for possible contaminants, state health officials announced Tuesday.

Illinois Environmental Protection Agency testing of the village's municipal water wells, which are treated to remove impurities, revealed some potentially dangerous chemicals could be in private wells, the Illinois Department of Public Health said.

Two chemicals, dichloromethane and benzene, were detected at levels greater than groundwater standards, officials said. Other chemicals - including carbon tetrachloride and trichloroethylene - were detected, too, but at levels less than groundwater standards.

Long-term exposure to these chemicals may increase the risk of liver, kidney, bone and blood diseases, officials said.

Even so, the situation is not as severe as some other recent water-contamination cases in the area, said Carol Fuller, the IEPA's community relations coordinator assigned to the Fox Lake site.

"We're trying to be proactive," she said.

The chemicals were discovered over time in water in the village's system before it had been treated, IEPA spokeswoman Maggie Carson said. They'd be removed once the water is treated but would remain in water found in untreated private wells.

Some of the chemicals were detected as far back as 1998, but they're only being reported now because public notification laws changed, IEPA officials said.

The warning from the state applies to about 30 houses, said Keith Peterson, supervisor of water and sewer for Fox Lake.

People with wells who live south of Fox Lake, east of Pistakee Lake, north of West Glenayre Street and west of Hickory Avenue should have their water tested by a private laboratory, state officials said.

The contamination may have originated at two dry cleaners in the village, the health department said.

Village Administrator Nancy Schuerr said the owners of Lakeland Plaza decided to have groundwater tested amid concerns about a dry cleaners that operated there more than five years ago.

After some contaminants were discovered, she said, the IEPA was called in for additional tests. Of the private wells near the businesses tested by the IEPA, Schuerr said, all came back safe.

"The levels of chemicals in the groundwater at this point is not a concern to the village of Fox Lake," she said. "But, we will continue to monitor and continue to test the groundwater and, should any concerns arise, we will contact the IEPA immediately to determine the best course of action."

The other dry cleaner, which is in the same area, enrolled in an IEPA environmental program designed to reduce the amount of contaminants it puts into the soil, Schuerr said.

Not all of the contaminants are dry-cleaning solutions. Some could be from industrial cleaners, gasoline or other chemicals, Fuller said.

Residents and businesses within a specific radius of the potential sources will receive formal notices from the state agencies with additional information about the potential contaminants and recommended responses.

A list of state-approved laboratories can be obtained by calling the state health department at (630) 293-6800. Once samples are analyzed, residents can call the public health department for explanations of the results.

The village is working with the IEPA to ensure water from the village's wells is safe, he said.

"We monitor monthly and then do special samples quarterly to check for this contamination," Peterson said. "Plus, the IEPA has been keeping a close eye on the situation with us."

• Daily Herald Staff Writer Lee Filas contributed to this report.