Chloride contamination resurfaces in Granger subdivision

GRANGER, Ind. (AP) - St. Joseph County is working to remedy chloride contamination in the wells of a dozen homes in a subdivision that faced the same problem nearly 25 years ago.

In August 2014, testing in the Juday Creek Estates subdivision in Granger found high chlorine levels in the wells of 12 homes and the golf course clubhouse, water issues specialist Mark Espich of the county's health department told the South Bend Tribune (http://bit.ly/1ruy6i9 ). He said the contamination may have been the result of highway workers failing to sweep up road salt.

Over the past several months, the county has spent more than $26,000 on sampling, analysis and installation of reverse osmosis systems to filter out the chlorides, according to county engineer Jessica Clark. Mishawaka-based Midwest Clean Water has been contracted to maintain the systems for the next five years.

In 1989, just a few years after the development of the subdivision, wells were contaminated by chlorides that leached into the groundwater from a road salt pile at the St. Joseph County Highway Department garage, located across the street from the subdivision.

The county may consider closing that garage.

"It's really not an optimal site for how highway functions have grown throughout the years," Clark said. "So it may be something that we end up not utilizing, for the salt storage or any of our material storage."

County officials said the chloride doesn't pose a threat unless a person has been prescribed a low-salt diet. The filters were installed because chloride can make drinking water taste salty.

"Long-term exposure to drinking this all the time, we're not sure how this affects health, so it's just better to provide a fresh water source," Espich said.

St. Joseph County also wants to test 14 homes around the perimeter of the chloride plume. Commissioners recently approved hiring Goshen-based Roberts Environmental Services to sample wells over the next two years.

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Information from: South Bend Tribune, http://www.southbendtribune.com