NEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) - Delaware's largest residential water supplier says it has shut down a well near New Castle after high levels of a toxic chemical were detected.
The Wilmington News Journal reported Tuesday that state public health regulators posted a notice in mid-June of an elevated level of perfluorooctane sulfonate in the Wilmington Manor supply well owned by Artesian Water.
The level was nine times higher than a provisional level set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Provisional levels are not legally enforceable standards but signal a need for action to reduce exposure
The chemical is used to make non-stick, non-stain coatings.
Artesian Water Executive Vice President Joseph A. DiNunzio says the well is part of a large network of water sources that dilutes the contribution from any individual well.