Update: Bethany Crest Water Tests Safe For Drinking, Cooking

The water at the Bethany Crest community near Millville is safe to use for drinking and cooking once again.

The Department of Natural Resources and Delaware Public Health said Monday that samples from the water system now show PFAS concentrations below the US EPA health advisory level of 70-parts per trillion. Residents had been using bottled water for about two weeks after tests turned up concerning results.

DNREC said it’s continuing to work with the owner of the system on possible long-term strategies. An investigation into the source of what are often called “forever chemicals” is continuing.

Bethany Crest is a community of about 50 manufactured homes, and is served by a small water system.

“Samples taken by DNREC showed that an ion exchange treatment that had already been in place for the Bethany Crest water system had been successful in removing PFAS from the community’s drinking water. Out of an abundance of caution, DPH had advised Bethany Crest residents to use bottled water provided by the water system owner for drinking and cooking while the finished water samples were being tested,” DNREC said in a statement. “Testing results from an Oct. 23 sampling for PFAS in the Bethany Crest water system showed that the ion exchange treatment had removed PFAS to significantly below the health advisory level of 70 ppt. The results also indicated that while other wells and public water in the area sampled within a one-mile radius of Bethany Crest showed PFAS detections, all were below the EPA health advisory level.”