Officials: No Health Hazards in Strange-Smelling Water

If you live on Montgomery’s east side, and your water smells of petroleum, there are a few things you need to know: the village is working on the problem, and the water is completely safe.

That’s what Mike Pubentz, the village’s director, said Thursday afternoon. The village began receiving calls about strange-smelling water around 9 a.m. Wednesday, and by noon, they had taken the main water treatment plant on Knell Road offline and had taken samples of the water for analysis.

Pubentz said the affected area is widespread—it’s bounded by Route 31 to the west, Douglas Road to the east, Ashland Avenue to the north and Boulder Hill to the south. Pubentz’s office has received between 20 and 30 calls about the problem since Wednesday morning.

Tests showed that the water is safe for drinking, bathing, cooking and washing, Pubentz said. Trace amounts of two petroleum-based chemicals—Xylene and Ethylbenzene—were found, but in very low concentrations, and far below the Environmental Protection Agency standards for health hazards.

Tests found Xylene at a maximum concentration of 26 micrograms per liter, Pubentz said, and the EPA limit is 10,000 micrograms per liter. Similarly, tests discovered Ethylbenzene at a maximum of four micrograms per liter, and the EPA limit is 700, he said.

Still, these small concentrations are enough to cause a noticeable odor, Pubentz said. Public works employees have been flushing pipes out since Wednesday, to eradicate the problem. There has been no interruption in water service, Pubentz said—the affected area is now receiving water pumped from another of the village’s wells.

The source of the chemicals has not been found, Pubentz said, and the treatment plant will likely remain offline until it is.

“Right now we’re concentrating on getting rid of the problem in the system, to minimize the amount of this water that people are consuming,” he said.

To report issues with your water, call Public Works at 630-896-9241.