The Department of Environmental Protection will hold an open house and public meeting on October 17, to present and discuss plans to install a public water system in the Village of Intercourse, Leacock Township, Lancaster County.

The combined open house and meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Pequea Valley High School auditorium at 4033 East Newport Rd., Kinzers.

“The department is proposing the installation of a public water system to address extensive groundwater contamination found under the Village of Intercourse,” DEP Southcentral Regional Director Lynn Langer said. “This meeting will give residents an opportunity to learn about the contamination, the public water service area, and plans for construction.”

In the summer of 2004, elevated levels of trichloroethylene (TCE), a chemical commonly used as a solvent to degrease metal, were discovered in two public water supply wells that had been recently drilled for a residential subdivision.

From September 2004 to January 2005, DEP and the Environmental Protection Agency conducted extensive testing throughout the village, which showed 42 out of 190 samples having elevated levels of TCE.

In April 2006, DEP responded by providing bottled water or treatment systems for residents with contaminated wells. Twelve water treatment systems were installed on homes that had five times the acceptable level for TCE. Bottled water was also offered to any home with TCE levels anywhere above the acceptable level. DEP is currently providing bottled water to 51 homes.

Starting in September 2006, and intermittently continuing into May 2008, additional rounds of sampling revealed levels of TCE had risen in some wells, and had been detected in additional wells, while some results had not changed from previous sampling.

To further study the area, twelve monitoring wells were installed throughout the village.

Rounds of vapor testing also were conducted in November 2009 for homes constructed above the plume of TCE. Test results showed that vapor intrusion was not a threat.

Due to the extent of the groundwater contamination, it has been recommended and approved by both DEP and Leacock Township that a new public water system will be installed to provide water to residents within the contaminated area. In addition, the township has chosen to expand the water system at its expense to the entire village growth area.

Exploration wells have been drilled for the future water supply, with a total of three wells being considered to provide the water. Construction of the new water system is scheduled to begin in January 2015

At 6:30 p.m. on October 17, the open house portion of the evening will begin with representatives from DEP, Leacock Township and Leidos Engineering on hand to informally discuss maps and diagrams of the proposed system with residents.

Immediately following, at 7 p.m., DEP staff will give a presentation, and answer the public’s questions about the new water system.

The administrative record on the site contamination and proposed project is available for review by appointment, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DEP’s Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, PA 17110. Call Anne Krasevic at 717-705-4852 to make an appointment.

The record is also available for review from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Leacock Township Municipal Building by calling 717-768-8471.

For more information, call 717-705-4832. 

10/7/2013