Town's well problems continue

In 2006, residents of 40 homes in Webster started using two new wells because of a contamination threat in their old water supply. But water from the new wells stinks, stains sinks, clothes and even hair, and contains toxins.

For the 40-some Webster households served by two new wells drilled to avoid potential contamination, the cure has proved worse than the disease.

Since the water started flowing in January 2006, residents have complained of foul smells, strange chunks in the water and discoloration so bad it stains sinks, white laundry and even hair. Prompted by residents' concerns and testing that, in the past year, has shown radium, cyanide and hydrogen sulfide, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is investigating the problem.

Residents of the area about 10 miles northwest of Northfield say the rotten-egg odor fills their homes after they shower or do laundry. "You're embarrassed to have people come over," said Shellie Krueger, who likened the smell to a freshly permed head of hair.

Some residents find black chunks -- possibly manganese -- when they fill bathtubs, and discoloration is so bad that, "If you're going to sprinkle the yard, you've got to make sure it doesn't hit the house or anything of value. Otherwise, it gets ruined," said resident Nikki Jorgenson, who said the water has also tinted her family's hair red. Jorgenson said she drinks and cooks with bottled water, bathes her two young sons as infrequently as possible and has stopped buying white clothing.

The new wells, owned by the Webster Water Association, were drilled in 2005 because of MPCA concerns that the old wells could be contaminated with petroleum that had leaked from several tanks at the former Minnesota Valley Ag Co-op. The leaks were discovered in 1994, when the tanks were removed, said Amy Miller, a project manager in the MPCA's petroleum remediation program.
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