When I first moved into my home in the lovely countryside of western Chester County, PA six years ago, I decided to have my well water tested.  I had already heard from a neighbor that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) periodically collected water samples from the homes in my area due to a toxic waste Superfund site being within close range. Only one neighbor that I spoke with had some vague idea of what it was all about.

I paid for private testing and the results showed that there were levels of 2-3 chemicals in the water entering my home that had been identified at a particular Superfund site in my area, but that it fell under the upper limit that the EPA considered dangerous.  It did not show any significant presence of farming chemicals which I was also concerned about because of the proximity of several farms.  The water testing consultants recommended a certain type of filtration system for my home based on the test results.  (Although the EPA officially said my water was safe, I don’t want even low levels of hazardous substances entering the bodies of my family every day through our drinking and bathing water).

Interestingly, this type of filtration system had already been installed in my home by the previous owner – I guess someone had also advised them about the wisdom of this, though they never mentioned it to me.

Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances. I recently decided to try to find out more information about what specific sites were in my area and discovered an interesting website that lists Superfund sites by state and provides considerable information about them.  It’s very easy to find out if there are any Superfund sites in your neighborhood by choosing your state and then scrolling through the various locations.

It turns out that Pennsylvania is one of the more polluted states in the nation with 95 identified sites out of 1,279 sites currently being monitored nationwide (as of June 15, 2010).  There are 2 of them in my township of West Caln and a 3rd one very nearby in another township!  The one that appears to be most contaminated (and nearest to my home) has a specific notation that reads “Contaminated ground water migration is not under control.” This does not sound good to me!

Six years have gone by since I tested my water.  I plan on retesting soon with a private laboratory to see if anything has changed in my well, and to be sure that my filtration system is actually removing whatever chemicals are in my well water.  This will require 2 samples – one before the water enters my filtration system and one after it’s been filtered.  I think its worth the money.

Our bodies are made up of 60 – 80% water – infants and children actually have a higher water content in their bodies than adults.  Here’s one more instance of why our children are at particular risk for chemicals and toxins from our environment.

See also: EPA Superfund Site List by State