Chester River Hospital’s attempt to remove the remnants of an underground oil spill with oxygen injections into the ground water did not cause iron bacteria contamination in Well 9, said Chestertown Utilities Manager Bob Sipes at Monday’s council meeting.
“It does not show on any of the tests… that what happened at the hospital had any influence on what happened to Well 9,” Sipes said, citing a recent study to determine the source of the contamination. “As it is right now, Well 9 was not impacted by what happened at the hospital.”
Maryland Department of Environment permitted the hospital to inject 6,000 pounds of carbon dioxide and oxygen into the Aquia Aquifer last summer in order to grow bacteria that would remove the remaining heating oil from a spill that occurred 25 years ago. The spill released an estimated 100,000 gallons of heating oil into the groundwater—forcing the shut down of another well that serviced the town with drinking water. Hospital officials say over 80,000 gallons of fuel has been recovered since the spill.
Sipes expressed concern at the Aug. 20 council meeting that the timing of the oxygen injections last year, and the recent iron contamination of Well 9 this August, was “suspicious,” based on what a repair contractor said when inspecting the well shortly after it malfunctioned.
Sipes feared in August that oxygen injected into the shallow Aquia Aquifer could have migrated to the deeper Magothy Aquifer–causing the contamination.
Iron bacteria can be a bi-product of introducing oxygen into an aquifer, Sipes said.
Sipes also said at the August 20 meeting that he hoped the contamination of Well 9 was just a coincidence, and the oxygen injections into the hospital’s parking lot on Brown Street was not the source of iron contamination–and that subsequent tests could rule out the hospital as a source.
Sipes said that Well 9 needs to be redeveloped with mechanical and chemical cleaning that will cost around $20,000. He said any chemicals used would need to be EPA approved.
With the presents of iron bacteria known, Sipes said the town should plan to set aside $20,000 every five to six years for maintemence.
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