Arsenic in water supply - Maine

ChristieAcres · #21 08/05/14, 10:55 AM

If one has zero other choices and is literally stuck with a contaminated property, there are ways to deal with it. But it makes no sense to me to purchase a property with known high levels of arsenic. Digging another well or two is expensive. Having a site prepped for a large cistern and installing one or two is also expensive; that water will need treated as it is in storage. The system to remove the arsenic is expensive and a slow one. The soil is likely also contaminated (more $ going out the door testing soil samples as you wouldn't want just one...). This is far from an optimal situation, any way you slice it.

We held out until we found a property with pure well water (no filtering or treating needed). Since there are springs and high ground water in spots, we will be installing a hand pump (naturally, will get that water tested, too).

DSBlack · #22 08/06/14, 02:31 AM

Sorry it's been a few days, but here's the deal.

The property was in a great location, had a decent amount of cleared acreage, some farm machinery included in the sale including a brand new tractor and brush cutter, and quite a few outbuildings, but it was in no way 'perfect'. The house was in need of some exterior repair including a new roof and some replacement siding, and miscellaneous issues involving an inoperable furnace and some exhaust/chimney repairs, but the arsenic was just the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. Our agent suggested buying the property and then digging a new well, but that was a risk we weren't prepared to take. The arsenic was most likely a result of agricultural runoff in the water table and not something that could easily be dealt with sans a major filtration and water retention investment (and continued yearly maintenance). Water, in the volume required for our future livestock, needs to be a tolerable quality and preferably without major treatment. There of course exists another possible source of arsenic and that would be the old cemetery adjoining the property.

All-in-all, while we really liked the property, we had compromised a lot for it already and were not prepared to do so further. At this juncture we are reconsidering our options and the possibility of simply purchasing undeveloped land up in Aroostook and going the 'pioneer' route. More work = more reward or some such nonsense.

ChristieAcres · #23 08/06/14, 03:03 AM

DSBLACK, you are wise to walk at this juncture. As for undeveloped land, be careful, as you will then deal with "unknown" water quality. Here is what I found out...

After we bought our property, we were asked if we ran out of water while running our hose on our fruit trees, by a neighboring property owner... DH smiled, said no, and asked why. This is what we were told...

There were (5) wells dug on neighboring properties, including this one. Out of all (5) wells, ours is the purest, and also produces the highest gpm of them all. While 8gpm isn't high by some standards, it is fine for ours. Why the example?

All (5) properties together, make up around 35 acres. We were even told about an old well that was abandoned (water was contaminated and unfit to drink).

Now, one of the nearby neighbors, a few properties over, distance from our property of an adjoining 10 acres. His well? 100gpm and pure spring water (no filtering or treatment, just like ours).

So, if you find undeveloped property without a well? You have no sure fire way of confirming the quality of the water... Neither DH or I would want to risk that, although the undeveloped land prices sure were attractive and we would have been able to buy more than twice the property!