LHWA asks DuPont to Continue Bottled Water Program in Light of New Test Results

The Little Hocking Water Association is asking DuPont once again to continue to foot the bill for bottled water for their customers until tests prove that a new filtration plant is successfully removing detectable levels of C8 from the water.

The bottled water program was put in place in the fall of 2005 after Dr. Edward Emmett found levels of C8 in Little Hocking people were 40 to 60 times higher than the general public. Prior to the release of Emmett's findings, the water association had been negotiating with DuPont for an alternative supply of water outside the scope of the class action lawsuit filed against the corporation in Wood County.

So far, DuPont has spent $3 million providing bottled water for most of Little Hocking's 12,000 customers. Company officials say the program is at an end. But, the water association is urging them to continue it for a while longer.

Robert Griffin is the general manager of the Little Hocking Water Association:

"Even though purging is not complete, DuPont apparently intends to end the bottled water program on November 30," Griffin said. "We are continuing to urge DuPont to fund the bottled water program at least until next week, when we have more results from tests that were taken this Tuesday by DuPont at the request of the U.S. EPA."

Griffin is asking customers to pay attention to test results, which will be the true test of the filtration system's effectiveness.

"Test results received by LHWA Wednesday night indicate that purging is still necessary," Griffin said.

He said one tank had C8 levels that were three times greater than the U.S. EPA's action level of 0.50 parts per billion. That level was negotiated by the EPA with DuPont. Other test results received on Wednesday night showed that areas of the system that have already been purged still contain levels of C8 well above the carbon change-out "trigger" of 15 parts per trillion.

“It is important to get as much data as possible before the bottled water program ends, because, as we said on November 2, we want to be able to confirm for our customers that the system as designed and constructed by DuPont will effectively remove the higher concentrations of C8 found in LHWA’s water," Griffin said.

He said those test results could become available as early as today.