WELL #4 BACK ONLINE NEXT WEEK

FOR ADDITIONAL TESTING REQUIRED BY MDE

Frederick, Md. --- The City of Frederick will turn Well #4 back on again beginning Monday, January 6^th, for additional testing. The testing, which is estimated to take up to two weeks, is a requirement of the Maryland Department of the Environment and a part of the City’s application to obtain a permanent permit for the well. Residents in the Monocacy and Fredericktowne Villages may experiences the effects of hard water over the next 14 days. Residents in these communities will be issued a post card in the near future with helpful information on dealing with hard water.

Although the extension on the emergency temporary permit for Well #4 only allows the City to withdraw up to 10,000 gallons per day from the well, next week’s testing will require that the well run at the same capacity it has been over the past few months.

Once the testing is completed, Well #4 will more than likely be taken off line until a permanent permit is obtained sometime this winter.

Also next week, the City will be working with Malcolm Field, a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency, to determine whether the 8 foot by 13 foot sinkhole which developed over the holiday week was a result of Well #4. Results of Field’s investigation will be made public once a decision is ascertained.

The City apologizes for any inconvenience that the residents in the affected communities have experienced. Unless additional testing is required by MDE, Well #4 will remain offline until a permanent permit is received.

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