Friends of Rural New York

P.S. Batavia NY had a massive well water contamination from a dairy CAFO
that ruined over 60 residential wells just this year.  The taxpayers paid
for the solution and the homeowners had to pay also.

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/easternsuburbs/story/185997.html

E. coli bacteria has been found in water that comes from wells in the
Town of Alden, a discovery that is concerning town and Erie County
officials.

According to correspondence from the county Health Department that was
read during Monday’s Town Board meeting, a “substantial increase in
positive E. coli samples in the existing private water supply” was
found after water quality was tested.

The letter categorized the discovery as a “real public health
concern.”

Councilman Bill Weber said the discovery was made after the town urged
residents of proposed Water District No. 5 to have their water quality
tested because the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the town could
potentially receive greater funding for the proposed water district if
there was documentation of a water quality issue.

“There is a very serious need for improved water supply,“ the
letter reads. “This is a health factor-based need.”

“This is for people in the southern part of the Alden area who are on
private wells,“ County Public Health Engineer Tom Casey said. “Not
for people who use Erie County water.”

While Casey did say the county found an increase in the amount of E.
coli in residents’ well systems, he was not overly concerned about the
health risk to Alden residents.

“If you ingest [the water] without preparing it, like boiling it, it
is a potential problem,” Casey said. “This can create a problem,
but it’s not that serious unless you come in direct contact with it.”

Bathing with the contaminated water or using it to wash dishes in sudsy
water should not cause a health concern, according to Casey.

Residents of Water District No. 5 who chose to have their water tested
by the county were informed of the test results. However, Weber said
other residents have not had their water tested.

“They are flirting with disaster,” he said. “They can have their
water tested by the county at a reasonable rate. I think it is around
$15.”

Currently, Metzger believes, at least 20 percent of the town’s
population is without usable water. In addition, Metzger said the northeast
end of Marilla, which abuts the southeast portion of Alden, is also in
desperate need of usable water.

Funding for the proposed water district will not only come from grants
and federal assistance, but also from town taxes, said Metzger and
Weber.