Little Rock—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established two types of drinking water standards, primary and secondary. Primary drinking water standards are established for drinking water with contaminants that may cause adverse health effects. Secondary drinking water standards have been established for things such as aesthetic properties of the water, for example color and taste. Adverse health effects are not normally associated with secondary standards.

Seven private water wells, located within and outside the corporate limits of Prairie Grove, were tested for metals, pesticides and other inorganic drinking water contaminants. The test results have been analyzed and the water in all wells is safe to drink. The results are as follows:

• All water wells met the National Primary Drinking Water Standards for Public Water supplies. The National Primary Drinking Water Standards are enforceable for public water supplies and were used for comparison purposes only.

The following National Secondary Drinking Water Standards for Public Water Supplies were exceeded in some of the wells:

• The color standard of 15 color units was exceeded in three wells. The wells contained 50/105, 4/135 and 0/87 color/apparent color units.
• The recommended sodium limit of 20 mg/L was exceeded in two wells that contained 97.6 mg/L and 56 mg/L sodium. Community members on salt restricted diets should advise their physician of the sodium levels in their drinking water.
• The total solids standard of 500 mg/L was exceeded in two wells that contained 576 mg/L and 744 mg/L total solids.
• The iron standard of 0.3 mg/L was exceeded in two wells that contained 2.93 mg/L and 0.48 mg/L sodium.
• The sulfate standard of 250 mg/L was exceeded in one well that contained 269 mg/L sulfate.

Exceeding these standards may make the water taste or look different, but should not cause adverse health effects.

Four wells contained Methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE), an additive in gasoline. MTBE was present at 0.00068 mg/L, 0.00021 mg/L, 0.00088 mg/L, and 0.0014 mg/L in the four wells. MTBE is not regulated in drinking water at this time. However, these levels are below levels where adverse health effects have been documented.
One well contained:

1. 0.0026 mg/L toluene. The NPDWS for toluene is 1,000 mg/L.
2. 0.0026 mg/L ethylbenzene. The NPDWS for ethylbenzene is 700 mg/L.
3. 0.0018 mg/L xylenes. The NPDWS for xylenes is 10 mg/L.

These results are at levels below drinking water standards, and, therefore, no health hazard is posed by drinking the water. However, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality conducted an investigation to determine if any underground storage tanks were leaking in the vicinity of the wells. Three facilities were inspected and no evidence of a gasoline release was found at any of the sites. At this time ADEQ is continuing to investigate potential abandoned underground storage tank sites in the area.

All information and sample results gathered by the Arkansas Department of health and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality is available at the Prairie Grove Public Library for review by the public.

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