The Carthage PCE Plume site is a tetrachloroethene (PCE) groundwater plume; the source is currently unknown. PCE had been detected in three of 12 wells that supply raw water to the Carthage Water & Electric Plant (CWEP) public water system.
In 2020, CWEP removed from service the two wells that were the most impacted by PCE and deactivated them. The one remaining contaminated well had the lowest detections of PCE. Instead of terminating the well, CWEP is treating 100% of all influent water with aeration, which allows the PCE to volatilize out of the water.
The department is working to discover the source and extent of the contamination. Ten wells currently supply water to the treatment plant. CWEP continues to treat all combined raw water before it is distributed to the public. PCE has not been detected in effluent water after treatment. Quarterly testing of all water samples collected from the treated drinking water indicate the system is meeting all Safe Drinking Water Act standards.
If you are currently living within 1 mile of the impacted wells and are drinking water from a private well, the department may be interested in sampling your well. If you would like your well tested for PCE and its degradation products, please contact Claire Quick, Missouri Department of Natural Resource, by telephone at 573-526-3287 or by e-mail at claire.quick@dnr.mo.gov.