SUMNER — Selectmen Chairman Wally Litchfield will pursue getting free estimates on filtration systems for the town office’s well after its water was deemed undrinkable by a state laboratory.

At the Tuesday, Feb. 23 Sumner selectmen’s meeting, Litchfield gave an update on the tainted well. He spoke with John Nims from the Health and Environmental Testing Labratory in Augusta about the test results, which showed elevated levels of coliform in the well water.

“It is in the water. It could come from anywhere. It may be coming from … mice droppings or bird droppings on the cover and leeching down through there. Hard rains can raise havoc,” Litchfield said. “His answer was [bleach] the water or you put up a sign and let people know it hasn’t passed and isn’t suitable for drinking.”

Posting warning signs is something town officials have done in the past for the well, as this has been an ongoing issue. After the meeting, Selectman Kelly Stewart said the coliform bacteria in the water has been a problem for the past couple of years.

“Usually we bleach it out and it’s fine,” she said.

Selectman Mary Ann Haxton said the well, which supplies water to the town office, is usually tested once a year, or twice a year, if it doesn’t pass the first go around.

“It still isn’t passing,” she said.

During the meeting, Litchfield said there are filtration systems available to treat the water and many companies give free estimates on the cost to filter the coliform out.

“My assumption would be that that’s cheaper than drilling,” Stewart said.

Town Clerk Susan Runes said these estimates should include whether or not a filtration system for the outside water system at town office is needed.

“It’s not right that the water in here isn’t usable. We spend a lot of time in here and then there’s meetings,” she said. “It’s not safe.”

Coliform bacteria are found on plants, in soil and surface water and sometimes in human and animal intestines, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control.

“They are not harmful themselves, but if they are present, it means that disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites could have gotten into the water supply by the same route as the coliforms,” the CDC website reads.

Litchfield will pursue filtration system estimates and report back to the board.

In other news selectmen:

• denied Cliff McNeil’s request that the town refund him his $200 application fee for his subdivision amendment for Butterfield Estates LLC after he submitted it earlier this month and withdrew it a day later. They said they’re under no obligation to refund him the money and they didn’t want to set a precedence in doing so.
• requested a phone call from the town’s plowing contractors Alfred and Weldon Lucas after Road Commissioner James Keach reported Route 219 was not cleared by 4 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, when it was snowing.
• were informed by Runes the town’s tax commitment to Oxford County for this year increased by 7 percent from last year to $56,792.

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