State officials in Kansas let hundreds of residents near Wichita risk drinking contaminated water for six years before telling them there was a problem, according to a report.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment in 2011 found dry cleaning chemicals in groundwater in Haysville, but did not test nearby private wells used for drinking, washing, and bathing. The department also did not advise residents so they could test their wells themselves, the Wichita Eagle reported over the weekend. Public water sources were not contaminated.
The KDHE told the news outlet it did not act immediately because the department believed the contaminated water was flowing away from private wells before it found out in 2017 that was not the case. Identifying and treating affected groundwater in Kansas is complicated by state laws that protect the dry cleaning industry.
Perchloroethylene, a dry cleaning chemical, can affect a person’s mood, memory, and vision when consumed over long periods of time. It has additionally been linked to cancer and thought to impact reproductive systems.
But KDHE told the Wichita Eagle “there is no indication that PCE groundwater contamination is linked to increased cancer rates or birth defect rates in the neighborhood.”
The Environmental Protection Agency told the Washington Examiner on Monday state officials acted on the 2017 water sampling results promptly, providing at-risk households with bottled water within 24 hours and connecting 209 properties to public water sources as opposed to their private wells.
“EPA holds regular meetings with KDHE to provide routine oversight, and responds quickly to address any pressing human health or environmental protection matters,” a spokeswoman wrote in a statement. “EPA will support the state to ensure appropriate cleanup standards are met and that residents are protected.”
