Athol arsenic a natural occurrence

COEUR d'ALENE - Just over two months ago, the arsenic level at the Lynnwood Estates Water Association well near Athol reached 91 parts per billion - about 9 times the maximum federal limit of 10 ppb.

But according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, a water test on July 15 indicated 10.6 ppb of arsenic.

In a matter of weeks, the arsenic level at Lynnwood had plummeted.

"We're not sure why there was such a drop like that," said Steve Tanner, DEQ regional engineer manager. "Our recommendation is to do more sampling."

The arsenic spike was apparently a natural occurrence, Tanner said, and did not result from human tampering. It could be a seasonal phenomenon.

Located on private land on the east side of Highway 95, roughly one mile north of Athol, the Lynnwood well serves about 18 homes.

Contaminated water has been flowing through homeowners' pipes all summer.

"(The arsenic) is going to go back up again," said Bill Campbell, who lives on Cougar Hill Road. "They need to drill a new well, because our property isn't worth nothing."

Rather than risk the arsenic, Campbell buys Culligan bottled water for his home. He said he is considering litigation against Lynnwood Estates.

"The only thing, at this point, that will stop a lawsuit, is if they get off their butts and drill a well," Campbell said. "But they don't care."

A Lynnwood certified operator is now collecting weekly arsenic samples, according to DEQ spokeswoman Suzanne Scheidt.

Representatives from DEQ, Lynnwood and Panhandle Health District will meet in September and review the results.

Jay Gridley, president of the nonprofit Lynnwood Estates association, had planned to install water filters inside every home, he said. But the filters must be replaced every six months, at a cost of more than $180.

"And effectively that just raises everybody's monthly water bills," Gridley said. "So we're looking at other alternatives."

There are typically three or four options available, Tanner said, including treatment at the well itself, linking to another water system or digging a new well. The options and costs will be discussed at the September meeting.

"Still, the problem exists," Gridley said. "So we do need to fix it. We just have to figure out how."

For now, the arsenic level remains at the 10.6 ppb mark, above the federal limit. The regular sampling will continue.

Campbell maintains that DEQ and Lynnwood Estates have accomplished little.

"They haven't solved anything," he said. "This has just gone on far enough."