Chemicals found in additional Rogersville wells

Less than a month after finding unsafe levels of a cleaning solvent in two private wells near Rogersville, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has found the chemical in more water sources.

DNR sampled 33 private wells in Rogersville during the last week of March, according to previous Springfield Business Journal coverage, finding traces of trichloroethylene in seven of them - including unsafe levels in two. Those findings led to the decision to test additional wells in the area.

The department announced Wednesday that four more wells have traces of the chemical, and one of the four has levels above what is considered safe under federal drinking water standards, according to a DNR news release.

After reviewing findings from the initial sample, DNR says that 11 of 61 wells sampled so far have traces of the chemical, and five of those 11 have TCE levels in excess of the federal standards.

According to the release, sampling is ongoing in other wells, and the department continues to monitor the drinking water at the Logan-Rogersville schools and the city's two municipal wells, none of which have shown contamination.

Trichloroethylene is a nonflammable, colorless liquid used as a solvent in cleaning metal parts, as well as an ingredient in adhesives, paint removers and spot removers.

More information on the testing is available at the DNR Web site.