'Emerging Contaminants' in Whitney Well at Very Low Levels Are Still a 'Significant Wake-up Call'

Comprehensive Environmental Inc. (CEI) President Eileen Pannetier presented some of her engineer's initial findings to the Lost Lake Sewer Advisory Committee following testing of private wells, the municipal Whitney Well, and the water quality at the lake. The overall assessment of collected data is not fully complete yet on Lost Lake. There is still information to come on the connection with Martins Pond Brook flowing into the lake. However, there is some interesting information that has come out of the study so far.

CEI was contracted by the town to replicate the study that was done on the health of the lake in 1988 to see what changes may have happened since that date. The firm began the work starting in June and continued testing throughout the summer months. They used some more current methods than were available in 1988.

Testing started with sampling six shallow drilled wells, used for residential drinking water, with the owner's agreement. They ranged in depth from 20 feet to 125 feet.

The next component of the testing was the Pore Water Sample tests, where the soil is tested below the sediment surface to determine concentrations in groundwater discharge to surface water.

The two tests produced somewhat surprising results. In the private well testing, the firm found what it termed, "emerging contaminants" in one well and in Whitney Well - in miniscule amounts actually measured in PPT (parts per trillion) that contained pharmaceuticals including medicines used to treat bipolar disorder, urinary tract and skin infections.

"This is a marker for possible transmissions through humans, through septic systems making its way into the water in the lake," Pannetier said. She stressed that the EPA has no regulations on "emerging contaminants" or guidelines to follow if a pharmaceutical presence is detected.

Of the 21 Pore Water Samples sites, two of them were also found to have a miniscule amount of "emerging contaminants" - that included bipolar medicine, acetaminophen, tranquilizer, nicotine, and DEET.

In both the private wells and the Pore Sample sites, they detected dissolved phosphates, dissolved iron, ammonia, nitrates, and chloride in very small amounts measured in PPM - parts per million.

There was also some small amount of E. Coli detected in the Pore Samples but not in the wells.

Advisory Committee member and Board of Health member Dr. Susan Horowitz said her drinking water came from the Whitney Well and said the small presence of these materials is a "significant wake up call."

Groton Water Department Superintendent Tom Orcutt noted, "The pharmaceuticals are from humans and the nitrates and ammonia are from humans."

Pannetier said that the highest levels of these results were found in the northern portion of the lake both in the 1988 study and the current study, both in the outlet area. Pannetier noted, "This is more densely populated in that area, near the outlet."

Pore Sample testing was done on 17 different areas of the lake. "We don't know how much was lake water and how much was ground water" in the samples, she said.

Pannetier stressed that the "emerging contaminants are unregulated chemicals, from prescription medications to DEET. There are a whole range of things that are unregulated. They have been found everywhere...There is a definite indication that wastewater is present."

Land Use Director Michelle Collette commented, "Pharmaceuticals in public drinking water is a cause for concern. It is affecting the quality of water in the lake and the health of the town. I think this is a serious concern and should be addressed forthwith."

Resident Mark Deuger cautioned that this is one sampling and "out of 60 sampled, two barely showed anything. It is a piece of evidence." He recommended that the area be re-sampled to see if the result repeats itself or if there is a pattern. He added that with no standards established, it doesn't tell you what to do with the data.

Advisory Committee Chairman Jack Petropoulos said he was struck by the lack of phosphates in the 1989 study and the current study, and that the other items measured were roughly the same with phosphorous down and nitrates up. He noted that water tests for the lake and wells seemed to reflect this, noting that the health of the lake was excellent and had really barely moved since '88. He added that he would like more information on the seasonal implications of the items that were measured.

Pannetier pointed out that the area of the lake has porous soil where things travel rapidly adding that she "personally would not worry about the drinking water." This would indicate that the soil was in fact filtering out many contaminants.

Dr. Horowitz suggested that the eight wells on Whitney Pond be tested also to determine if this is the source of the pharmaceuticals.

Orcutt said, "There is a correlation with pharmaceuticals to the health of the lake and the health of the aquifer."

Following further discussion. Petropoulos advised waiting for the complete report before the Committee discussed the implications of total collected data.