Edwardstown and surrounding areas Groundwater Prohibition Area

The EPA established the Edwardstown and surrounding areas groundwater prohibition area (Edwardstown GPA) in January 2018 to protect people from accessing groundwater contaminated by chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC).

Information collected in September 2023 from the Melrose Park EPA assessment area, adjacent to the Edwardstown GPA, identified the need for further assessment of deeper groundwater to the west of South Road.

In May 2024, the EPA further investigated groundwater in the South-Eastern Edwardstown assessment area, which is a part of the Edwardstown GPA, to understand whether previously identified CHC contamination is also present in groundwater deeper than the existing GPA.

This assessment found that the deeper groundwater is impacted by CHC contamination, with trichloroethene (TCE) detected at concentrations above the drinking water guideline at several monitoring wells.

The EPA is now reviewing the boundaries of the GPA. The GPA will need to be extended and further assessment is required to determine the necessary boundaries. A map of the existing GPA is available here.

Stage 1 assessment of the GPA review will involve installing new groundwater monitoring wells and sampling new and existing wells in the southern portion of the GPA to better understand the extent of the groundwater contamination. This work is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2025.

The EPA established the Edwardstown and surrounding areas groundwater prohibition area (Edwardstown GPA) in January 2018 to protect people from accessing groundwater contaminated by chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHC).

Information collected in September 2023 from the Melrose Park EPA assessment area, adjacent to the Edwardstown GPA, identified the need for further assessment of deeper groundwater to the west of South Road.

In May 2024, the EPA further investigated groundwater in the South-Eastern Edwardstown assessment area, which is a part of the Edwardstown GPA, to understand whether previously identified CHC contamination is also present in groundwater deeper than the existing GPA.

This assessment found that the deeper groundwater is impacted by CHC contamination, with trichloroethene (TCE) detected at concentrations above the drinking water guideline at several monitoring wells.

The EPA is now reviewing the boundaries of the GPA. The GPA will need to be extended and further assessment is required to determine the necessary boundaries. A map of the existing GPA is available here.

Stage 1 assessment of the GPA review will involve installing new groundwater monitoring wells and sampling new and existing wells in the southern portion of the GPA to better understand the extent of the groundwater contamination. This work is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2025.

Page last updated: 17 Feb 2025, 03:44 PM