TCEQ statement

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality released the following statement in regards to an investigation of three Edwards Aquifer test wells that were found to have been tainted with an industrial solvent:

"The TCEQ received a referral from the Edwards Aquifer Authority in May 2013. They informed us that during routine sampling of water quality, they noticed increases in tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in two wells in Northeast Bexar County near the intersection of US-281 and Loop 1604. All detected concentrations were below TCEQ Texas Risk Reduction Program's protective concentration level (PCL) of 5.0 ppb, which is considered a safe level in drinking water.

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From May to August 2013, TCEQ performed a water well search in the area surrounding the two wells. No private drinking water wells were identified in a 0.5 mile radius of the indicator wells. TCEQ performed a sampling event of all accessible wells in 1.25 miles, including 3 public supply wells, 1 private well, and 3 Edwards Aquifer Authority monitoring wells. No PCE was detected in the 3 public water supply wells sampled. PCE was detected at a private monitoring well (previously identified as an industrial well) near the intersection of Thousand Oaks Drive and Jones Maltsberger at 0.780 ppb, an EAA monitoring well on Thousand Oaks Drive at 3.62 ppb, and the NAWQA (EAA) monitoring well at the intersection of Palo Duro St and Rio Seco at 3.40 ppb. . Again, no concentrations of PCE were over the PCL. The source of the PCE has not been identified. The investigation is ongoing."