Search for contaminated water expands north of Fairchild Air Force Base.
The search for contaminated water has expanded north of Fairchild Air Force Base after four wells in the area showed elevated levels of toxic firefighting chemicals.
The perfluorinated compounds, known by the acronyms PFOS and PFOA, were previously reported in groundwater in the area south and east of the base.
In a news release Monday, base officials said they would sample roughly 50 more off-base residential wells through next week.
The first round of tests found elevated levels of the chemicals in 17 private wells.
The second phase found elevated levels in three private wells and two city wells, which is how the chemicals got into the tap water.
Many residents have expressed concerns that their private wells might be contaminated and complained that the Air Force would not test them.
“We make our decisions about areas to sample based upon three criteria: probability the Air Force mission was a source of contamination, our proximity to drinking water sources, and if there is a pathway between our installation and the water supply,” Marc Connally, a remedial project manager from Fairchild’s Civil Engineer Center, said in the news release.
The samples collected by Fairchild officials will take about 45 days to test in a private lab, according to the news release.
The base said residents should contact the Spokane Regional Health District at (509) 324-1460 with questions about private well sampling.