Dozens of people who live near the former Reese Air Force base have contaminated water wells from the former Air Force operations on the land. Residents in the area are dealing with the problem the best they can and are waiting for the Air Force to fix the problem. So far, 42 private wells and one public well have been identified as contaminated.
The Air Force has provided the affected homes with water jugs for drinking but many of the neighbors said they’re scared of what damage was done before they knew their well water was a problem.
“I found out about that because my nephew used to work there on the planes and he told me to be careful. He said pretty soon, it’s going to mess up your water,” said Julio Villanueva.
Villanueva’s well is still being tested but he said it’s better to be safe than sorry.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, it might get worse,” said Villanueva.
Residents only use their tap water to shower. But for drinking, cooking and even brushing their teeth, they have to use bottled water.
The Air Force held a meeting last night with affected home owners to discuss concerns and the next steps in cleaning up the water.
“Then we’re going to step out to try and get additional people signed up to insure we’re able to sample their well so we can determine if their well needs to be addressed by providing alternate water,” said Air Force Programs Manager, Paul Carroll.
