ROCKINHAM, NC — Well water testing by state health officials in this area has revealed that 117 wells over three counties contain pesticides leached from defunct peach orchards, according to a September 20 article from The Charlotte Observer.
The pesticide levels in 77 wells were high enough to render the water unsafe. Contamination levels as high as 55 times the Safe Drinking Water standard have been detected in some wells.
The pesticides detected are dibromochloropropane (DCBP), 1,2-dichloropropane (DCP), and the chemical 1,2,3-trichloropropane. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level for DCBP and DCP, respectively, is 0.2 parts per billion (ppb) and 5 ppb.
The chemicals detected in the wells were heavily used during the 1950s when peach orchards covered about 12 times the area they do today, according to the article in The State.
State officials are delivering 5-gallon jugs of drinking water to affected homes, according to the article.
To view the full article in The Charlotte Observer, click here.
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