The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) released two reports in April revealing the public health implications of exposure to surface soil and groundwater surrounding the Sigmon’s Septic Tank Site in Statesville, N.C. The soil report says there is no apparent public health hazard to people who come in contact with surrounding surface soil. The water report found lead, but the levels were so low that they were not considered to be a health concern.

Earlier, the agency reviewed groundwater samples collected from private wells in October 2002 and May 2004, and found that two wells had high levels of lead. The wells were re-sampled again in April 2005, and the results showed the wells contained lead below levels of a health concern. Plumbing fixtures (lead pipes, lead-based solder, and water faucets containing lead), or the way in which the samples were collected could have caused high lead levels in the October 2002 samples.

Sampling data collected from wells in 2002, found that two different wells had levels of nitrates that could affect the health of people who drank from them. Repeated sampling data for nitrates collected from these wells in April 2005 still showed levels of nitrates that could be hazardous. One of the two impacted wells is inoperable. Drinking water from either of these two wells, which contain high levels of nitrates, could pose a health risk for infants up to age six months of age and a potential risk to developing fetuses in pregnant women, causing them to have miscarriages.

After evaluating the data, ATSDR recommends:

• Residents who use water from private wells should use an alternate source of drinking water in case nitrates, lead, and/or other substances might have migrated from the site.
• EPA should continue to routinely collect and analyze groundwater samples, notably for nitrates and lead.
• Residents should avoid entering the Sigmon’s Septic Tank property as the investigation of the site continues.

Both reports are available for review at Iredell County Public Library, 135 East Water Street, Statesville, N.C.

For more information about ATSDR’s activities in Statesville, community members can contact ATSDR Environmental Health Scientists Annmarie DePasquale or David Sutton toll free at 1-888-422-8737. Callers should refer to the Sigmon’s Septic Tank site in Statesville, N.C.