Saturday, January 19, 2008

BF wells in compliance with federal arsenic rules

Clara Garcia News-Bulletin Staff Writer; cgarcia@news-bulletin.com

Bosque Farms A big sigh of relief can be heard from the Village of Bosque Farms after the mayor announced at a regular council meeting Thursday that recent tests have revealed that the village is now in compliance with federal arsenic regulations.

"I'm very happy to announce tonight that we have a late Christmas present for the residents of the Village of Bosque Farms — we have received the test results back on the two (water) wells that were tested last month. The arsenic levels in both wells tested at 10 parts per billion."

Federal regulations regarding the amount of arsenic in drinking water changed in 2006. Under the previous regulations, water systems could have up to 50 parts per billion (ppb) of arsenic in the water. But on Jan. 23, 2006, the allowable level of arsenic dropped to 10 parts per billion.

Although arsenic occurs naturally in water systems, it is still labeled a chronic contaminate. Arsenic, a chronic contaminate, is not an immediate risk to the public and is not at a life-threatening level. According to the New Mexico Environment Department, unlike E. coli in a water system, symptoms from chronic contaminates such as arsenic take time to develop. People may drink water containing arsenic for years and not show any effects.

When the regulations changed, the levels of arsenic in both of Bosque Farms' water wells were way below the previous 50 ppb level, but just a few parts higher than the current standards. At that time, Well No. 1 was tested to have 12 ppb of arsenic and results from Well No. 2 were at 14 ppb.

Ake said the environment department tests for arsenic every three years, and the next one will be in the fall of 2010. While Ake is relieved and elated about the results of the most recent tests, he said the village will continue seeking funds for a treatment system in the event the arsenic levels increase at the time of the next test.

"We'll be in compliance until we're checked again," Ake said in a telephone interview Friday morning. "We're still going to be looking for methods and other solutions ... including drilling underground to check the levels for ourselves."

The village's engineering firm, Molzen-Corbin, estimated that it would cost Bosque Farms more than $5.5 million to build a water treatment system to decrease the arsenic levels. In April 2006, Bosque Farms received a three-year extension from the New Mexico Environment Department Water Drinking Bureau to meet the regulations.

"That's why I really fought hard to get the extension, because other systems are always being developed and cost less," Ake said.

The mayor said he hasn't been able to get an answer to why the levels went down, only that they fluctuate as years pass. He said in the 18 years since Bosque Farms has had a water system, the arsenic levels have tested as high as 14 ppb and as low as 8 ppb.

"This is still our No. 1 priority, and we will continue to seek funding to drill exploratory wells and fund a treatment process to keep us in compliance," he said. "We're still looking for an affordable method as we go through the next three years."

In other action, the council: