AFCEE is committed to protecting public health. We recognize the fact that past practices of the military may have compromised the drinking water quality of residents’ private wells that surround the base. In an effort to ensure that drinking water via private wells was safe, the Air Force instituted the Private Well Sampling Program in 1986. The program had the maximum number of participants in 1999 with almost 400 residents sampled.  Today it is less than 50.

Typically, AFCEE tests a residential sample (annually) for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and/or ethylene dibromide (EDB). In some cases, homes may be tested more frequently. For areas where AFCEE has deemed private well water is imminently threatened, bottled water is supplied and municipal water conversions are offered.

For testing, samples are sent to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified laboratory and returned on a 21-day turnaround. Field duplicates and blank samples are routinely analyzed to ensure laboratory quality. The most common chemicals detected in private well water are chloroform and methyl-tert-butyl-ether (MTBE)—both of which are not related to the base. Chloroform is formed as a by-product of septic system discharge, while MTBE is an oxygenating agent added to gasoline.

However, there have been some trace detections of chemicals that have been routinely used on the base such as trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and toluene, none at levels considered unsafe by state and federal drinking water standards.   Since 1986, AFCEE has paid to convert approximately 1,100 private wells to municipal water supplies.

For more information about the residential sampling program and town-water hookups, please contact Mr. Doug Karson, at (508) 968-4678 ext. 2.