On Thursday, February 28, 2008 USEPA received a request for emergency bottled water supplies from NCDENR in response to contaminated Montgomery County residential wells. An NRC report was filed subsequently notifying USEPA Region IV. USEPA and START began immediate distribution of bottled water to 19 residential homes in Norman, North Carolina—Montgomery County.
Montgomery County Health Dept. Sampled a residents well at the residents request on Morgan Road in November of 2007. Based on the analysis results of this sample, DENR conducted a sampling event (6 homes) for volatile organic compounds in January of 2008. In February 2008 DENR expanded the sampling event to include approximately 50 wells (70 residents).
Results returned elevated levels of a pesticide related compound (1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane)exceeding the 1997 Drinking Water Removal Action Level (3 ug/L) and one well exceeding the Superfund recommended residential drinking water removal action level (8.4 ug/L). Ten wells had contamination exceeding 3 ug/L some of these ten wells were shared wells with multiple residents, the highest concentration detected was 11 ug/L. This area has been historically used for agricultural purposes, peach orchards and tobacco farms. No point-source has been identified, soils in this area are very sandy, this is located in the sand hills region.
