Water Around PA Military Bases Contaminated

A new drinking water testing requirement turned up questionable water near shuttered military bases in Horsham and Warminster, PA.

Tests revealed "perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in several public and private wells surrounding the former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster and nearby Horsham," PA Wire News reported.

The development "could further delay the redevelopment of the former Naval Air Station Willow Grove," according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The contamination may be traced to chemicals used when the bases were operating. "Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was commonly used in firefighting foams at Willow Grove and the former Naval Air Warfare Center in Warminster," the report said.

The findings put various wells offline. "Many private wells have been put out of use due to contamination, and homeowners with the affected wells have been given bottled water. So far, 42 of the 70 wells in Warminster were tested, and PFCs were identified in nine of them, according to Navy statistics," PA Wire News reported.

Residents questions whether water contamination might be linked to illnesses in local families.

They "said they had been suspicious after seeing so many cases of cancer in their neighborhood in the last few years - pancreatic, leukemia, liver, breast, lymphoma," the report said.

One resident noted, per the report: "You don't know whether it's related or not, but you certainly wonder."

Authorities told residents that water from the local utility is safe.

“I think the number one message we should get out there is that if you are a customer of Warminster Municipal Authority and drinking their water, you are safe. The water is safe, it will continue to be safe and you won’t have any issues,” Greg Preston, director of Navy Base Realignment and Closure program, said per PA Wire News.

"In laboratory animals, PFOS can cause developmental, reproductive and other adverse effects, the Horsham Water and Sewer Authority said in a statement," according to Patch.

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