Agency tells Ohio Air Force base to stop drinking water use

originally posted on May 20, 2016

 

FAIRBORN, Ohio (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has told officials at an Ohio U.S. Air Force base to take a drinking water well offline after tests found high levels of a chemical used to fight fires.

The Dayton Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/1OQK4g1 ) the EPA issued the order Friday for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just outside Dayton. The EPA says infants and women who are pregnant or are nursing should not drink the water. It says the water is safe for other adults to drink.

The problem was discovered after water was drawn from the wells last month. One well was previously taken offline. The base plans to distribute bottled water Saturday.

A base spokeswoman says Wright-Patterson Medical Center has been using bottled water for patients and for food preparation.

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