Uranium Levels Still High At Middle Gate

By Tanjua Damon

The results of the second test for uranium in the water at Middle Gate School show that there are still high levels of the heavy metal in the water at the school.

Superintendent John R. Reed told the school board Tuesday night that the levels have dropped since the water was first tested last year, but are still well above the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines of 30 pico curies per liter.

The school district initially tested wells at schools when several residents’ wells were found to have uranium. The first test last October alerted school officials that Middle Gate School had elevated levels that were over the EPA guidelines. The results from the October test showed water at Middle Gate to have 211 pCi/L.

A second sample was taken on December 27, 2000. The results were released to the school board during their business meeting. The results show that although the levels are down, 139.33 pCi/l, they are still well above the EPA guidelines of 30 pCi/L.

In a letter dated February 16 to Dominick Posca, supervisor of buildings and grounds from Health Director Mark Cooper, the school system was urged to “contact a qualified water treatment company to design a treatment system to remove the uranium from the Middlegate school water supply.”

Lowry Engineering of Blue Hill, a Maine firm will meet with school official on March 23 to design a water treatment system for Middle Gate School’s uranium problem. The Middle Gate School community is drinking bottled water for now.