COTTAGE GROVE

Contaminated drinking water in Cottage Grove

Contaminated drinking water in Cottage Grove

Introduction

The 3M Company made perfluorochemicals (PFCs) at its Cottage Grove facility from the late 1940's until 2002. Perfluorooctanoic unpleasant (PFOA) was the major kind of PFC made at this site. PFOA is utilised in the making of goods that oppose heat, oil, stains, grease and water. Common values encompass non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpets and fabrics, and other developed submissions (www.health.state.mn.us).

The Village of Cottage Grove's Water Utility is delighted to present to you, its 2008 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This annual report is organised to report all of its customers about the imbibing water worth furnished from its three wells (from the Cambrian Sandstone Aquifer) over the past year.

Significant Health Risk from PFC Levels

Washington, DC — Levels of chemical contamination in fish downstream from a 3M disposal location on the Mississippi River “pose an important risk to humans and wildlife consuming these fish,” as asserted by new outcome issued today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) and the Environmental Working Group (Bradford, 2006). Despite some measurements that are the largest ever noted the Minnesota Health Department is afresh delaying issuance of any wellbeing advisory.

The newest outcome is comprised inside a new report by Dr. Fardin Oliaei, who resigned previous this month as the coordinator for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency program on appearing contaminants. Dr. Oliaei's study shows disturbingly high PFC concentrations in both fish fillet (the body material that would be consumed by humans or wildlife) and body-fluid, noting that noticed grades in fish “downstream and proximate to the 3M Cottage Grove vegetation release are unusually high and are the largest grade in body-fluid of any animal checked worldwide.” (Windsor, 2008) Classified as a toxic, PFCs have initiated birth defects and killings in animal studies. (minnesota.publicradio.org)

Drinking Water

The imbibing water furnished by the Cottage Grove Water Utility over the past year has joined or surpassed all State of Wisconsin and Federal imbibing water worth standards. The existence of contaminants does not likely suggest that the water fakes a fitness risk. More knowledge about contaminants and capability fitness upshots can be received by calling the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. If you have any queries about this report or in view to your Water Utility, satisfy acquaintance the Cottage Grove Water Utility at (608) 839-4704 or at the address registered above (Menkes, 2007).

Water Quality Explanation and Summary

As water tours over land and through loam below ground, it can select up materials or contaminants for instance microbes, inorganic and organic chemicals, and radioactive materials that can ultimately contaminate imbibing water. It's valued to consider that the existence of these contaminants does not likely create a fitness risk (Higham, 2005). Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

• Microbial contaminants, for instance viruses and single-celled organisms, which may draw close from sewer therapy plants, septic procedures, rural livestock performances and wildlife.

• Inorganic contaminants for instance salt and metals, which can be naturally- taking position or ...