My water comes from a well. On March 12 it started to smell strongly like gasoline. I even filled a bowl and attempted to light it on fire! Fortunately, it didn't ignite. However, the fuel smell has gotten stronger and it's constant now. I buy water by the gallon to drink and cook with, and to give to my pets, but I still have to shower, wash dishes, wash laundry, and water the garden with contaminated water. Sometimes the water feels sticky and leaves a film behind. The house is starting to smell like a gas station, too. This is getting dangerous, as fuel contains several carcinogens and neurotoxins that are harmful even in the parts-per-billion range.

The source of the contamination is likely an underground storage tank at a business next door. The tank is approximately 40 feet from the well cap. Two weeks before my water began to stink, they had a heating contractor install new propane tanks. When they switched their heating system from fuel oil over to propane, they left the old tank in place underground. However, they park vehicles and drive over the location of the tank. I believe this, and possibly the age of the tank, has caused it to leak, contaminating the water table below us. There are no other likely sources nearby that I know of, and according to the DEP most contamination comes from within 100 feet of an affected well.

Before I can report the fuel spill to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, I need to have my water tested. The cost of installing a remediation system is way beyond reach, but the first steps are testing and reporting. Hopefully that will get the ball rolling on addressing the source of the problem. The test package that was recommended to me by a local water testing lab costs $256. If you can spare a few dollars toward this, it will be an enormous help.

In the meantime, I'm using rain water to fill birdbaths, because I'm afraid of poisoning the birds. This sucks.