Contaminated drinking water discovered south of Colorado Springs

By Laura Wilson

(Photo: KOAA News 5)
(Photo: KOAA News 5)

EL PASO COUNTY, CO – Thousands of residents in southern El Paso County are on edge, after finding out their water may be contaminated.

The EPA found elevated levels of PFC’s, which are a man-made chemical, in a water source used by Fountain, Security, and Widefield.

We’ve learned the Windmill Gulch Aquifer and Widefield Aquifer were among the water sources tested.

As many as 40,000 people could be affected by the contaminated water.

“We do drink filtered water from the fridge already.  But we cook with the water, we give it to our animals, we clean with it.  So that’s concerning to me that if we can’t ingest it, I’m a little worried about how else we use it as well,” said Fountain resident Jenn Leonard.

According to the EPA, overexposure to PFC’s can result in adverse health effects—including developmental effects to fetuses during pregnancy or to breastfed infants.

Leonard owns Colorado Mountain Doulas, and felt it was important to share the news on Facebook, to alert any new moms/moms-to-be about the potentially hazardous drinking water in their area.

But Fountain residents can breathe a sigh of relief.

According to Fountain Water District officials,  most of the city’s residents are in the clear, because they’re using surface water—which is different than what was tested.

It’s the ground/well water that’s contaminated.

Security Water District officials say it’s a different story for their residents.  Some receive groundwater, and some receive surface water—it depends on the zone they’re in.

They’ve been fielding calls all day about whether or not filtering the contaminated water would make it safe to drink.

“That’s part of the problem,” said Roy Heald, with the Security Water District.

“These chemicals are so new, there’s not really a lot of information out there on that.  I guess what I would advise is to check with the manufacturer of the device specifically for these chemicals and ask them if they indeed remove these chemicals,” he added.

Widefield Water District officials did not return our phone calls Thursday, and have not confirmed the source of water being distributed to their customers.

It’s left the community with a lot of questions.

“I want to know exactly how much is in our water.  I want to know what we can do to fix it.  I want to know what this problem wasn’t being addressed before,” said Widefield resident Caitlin Castillo.

If you are unsure what source of water your household is receiving, you are encouraged to contact your public water district.

See more at KOAA News 5

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