DEP To Pay For Switching Contaminated Horsham Wells To Public System

The 33 Horsham homes with contaminated private wells will be switched to the public water system with the state Department of Environmental Protection footing the bill.

The wells are contaminated by dichloroethylene (DCE), which was first found in the wells serving homes on Midfield Drive in 2013 according to The Intelligencer. Since the discovery, the residents have been using bottled water, which was supplied by the DEP.

The project, which has an estimated cost of $500,000, is expected to wrap up in the fall. Where the chemicals originated from is still unknown.

DCE is used as a solvent for waxes and resins, according to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. It can also be used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals, and as a refrigerant.

The maximum allowed in water is .07 parts per million. There have been reports of wells testing as high as four times the maximum with the average coming in between .15 and .20 parts per million.

More information about DCE can be found by clicking here.