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Resident reports styrene and fecal coliform in well; Authority authorizes reimbursement request
Summary
A Lower Pottsgrove resident reported styrene and subsequent fecal coliform in his private well after nearby sewer work. The Authority authorized its solicitor and manager to seek reimbursement for filtration and testing; the solicitor said contractor responsibility is the likely avenue for redress.
Thomas and Marie Czekaj told the Lower Pottsgrove Township Authority on July 25 that their private well at 1726 N. Keim Street was contaminated after June 8, 2024, first with styrene and later with a fecal coliform count. Engineer Fred Ebert said Montgomery County Health Department samples showed styrene at 2,149 micrograms per liter in raw basement water and a fecal coliform count of 112; a carbon filter was installed June 10 and a July 3 pre-filter test showed styrene as non-detectable.
Solicitor Stephen Kalis told the board the matter appears to involve two distinct issues: the styrene contamination, which Ebert said has been addressed aside from reimbursement, and the fecal-coliform finding, for which the source—either the property owner’s system or a pathway related to nearby sewer work—remains undetermined. "He [Kalis] clarified his understanding that there are two (2) separate issues," the transcript records.
Thomas Czekaj said he believes the two problems are related and that recent sewer work may have created a pathway that allowed contaminants into the well. "He feels both issues are related," Czekaj told the board. Czekaj said his family has been exposed to a health hazard from breathing and consuming the contaminated water and that he wants a reasonable resolution without immediate litigation.
After discussion, Sean Pence moved that the solicitor and Authority manager request reimbursement from the contractor for the charcoal filter, UV light and testing performed by Suburban Water at 1726 N. Keim Street. The motion was seconded and approved 4-0. Manager Edward C. Wagner said the Authority will speak to the contractor following the meeting and that the Czekajs may proceed with installing a UV unit in the interim.
Why it matters: a private household reported both a volatile organic compound (styrene) and bacterial contamination; the Authority is pursuing reimbursement and has raised questions about whether nearby sewer construction could have affected the well. The solicitor advised the contractor is the likely responsible party; the pathogen source remains under investigation.
Next steps: the solicitor and manager will seek reimbursement and follow up with the contractor; the Czekajs plan to proceed with a UV installation and continue testing.
