Contact:
Una Cooper
Communications Coordinator
301-809-3032
email:ucooper@cityofbowie.org
City of Bowie Water System Is Safe And
Not Affected By Contaminants Found at Sandy Hill Landfill
The City of Bowie wishes
to reassure residents that despite reports of ground contamination at the
Sandy Hill Landfill, the City of Bowie Water System is
completely safe and that its water supply is not affected by any reported contamination
at the landfill. The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) regulates
water quality in the state. Water systems are required to test water for
contaminants on a regular
basis. The City has confirmed with the MDE that the reported contamination
from the landfill poses no threat to the City’s water system.
Residents in the City of Bowie are served by one of two public water systems
– the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) or the City of Bowie Water
System. Neither of these systems is in danger of its water supply being contaminated
by the landfill. The water provided by the City of Bowie Water System is drawn
from deep, confined aquifers where water has collected over the course of hundreds
of years. The source of WSSC water is surface water from the Potomac and Patuxent
Rivers.
On March 16, 2006, the Prince George’s County Government reported that routine
sampling of monitoring wells at the Sandy Hill Landfill had detected an increase
in ground contaminants. According to a statement released by County Executive
Jack Johnson, “there is no reason to believe that the contaminants have migrated
beyond the perimeter of the landfill.” The County has engaged an independent
consultant to conduct further tests and will be working with the Maryland Department
of the Environment to determine if action is necessary to contain the contaminants
at the site.
The County expects to have a hotline set up by Monday to field resident calls. Those living near the landfill who draw their water from private, shallow wells, rather than from WSSC or the City of Bowie system, may wish to learn more about the contamination and the County’s plans for mitigation of the problem.
The Prince George’s County Department of Environmental Resources may be reached at 301-883-5794 for more information.
See Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson's Press Release.
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