Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Media Contact: Dan Olson, 218-846-7390 Technical Contact: Doug Bellefeuille, 218-846-0733 Toll-free/TTY: 1-800-657-3864 Detroit Lakes, Minn. -- The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) are investigating contamination in a well that supplies water to a bar and adjacent home in Solway, Minn. After receiving a complaint of bad smelling water at the Beer 30 Bar, the MDH tested the bar's well water and found contaminants often associated with petroleum products in levels that exceeded limits established to protect human health. The bar was notified to immediately stop serving water. The MDH and MPCA have collected samples from nearby wells and the owners have been advised to stop using their well water for drinking until test results are available, which most likely will be Friday, April 29. The MPCA has provided the bar and all nearby residents and businesses with bottled water for drinking. The MDH and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency have established drinking water limits for contaminants. Benzene, which has a federally-established limit of five parts per billion, was detected at the highest concentration among the contaminants found in the bar's well water supply. The bar has an installed carbon filter for its well. MDH tests of the filtered water show benzene levels at 23 ppb. Samples taken of the unfiltered well water contained levels ranging from 1600-2000 ppb. Paul Felling of the MDH office in Bemidji, Minn., said the bar's well was drilled in 1983, but it may not be possible to tell how long the current level of contamination has existed. Doug Bellefeuille, MPCA emergency responder, said the investigation will determine the extent of the contamination and identify a responsible party. The responsible party will then need to conduct further investigations and correct the problem. In the meantime, the MPCA will continue to provide clean drinking water and/or carbon filtration systems to any affected residents or businesses.