PFOA 2005
August 23, 2005. Free bottled water available for reimbursement from DuPont.
By Tom Hrach. The Marietta Times (Ohio).
 
 

Return to
PFOA Class Action Suit
Newspaper articles and Documents related to PFOA Class Action

-
See brief introduction to PFOA and PFOS

-

 

 
August 23, 2005

The Marietta Times (Ohio)

Free bottled water available for reimbursement from DuPont

By Tom Hrach
thrach@mariettatimes.com

For information on free bottled water
Little Hocking Water Association: 1-800-275-6544 or
http://www.lhwawaterreimbursement.com/

The free bottled water for all customers of the Little Hocking Water and Sewer Association is now available for people who agree to purchase water and save their receipt for reimbursement.

The free bottled water was announced last week as part of an agreement with DuPont, which operates its plant across the Ohio River from the Little Hocking water well field.

“It will take a few more weeks to start the formal program, but we wanted people to get the water right away so we have started this program now,” said Bob Griffin, general manager of the Little Hocking Water and Sewer Association.

DuPont agreed to provide the free bottled water until a carbon filtration system is placed in the Little Hocking water system. The system is being put in place due to the amount of a chemical known as C8 that is in water provided to Little Hocking customers.

Allowing people to be reimbursed for their water purchases as of Monday is welcome news to people who have been paying for bottled water. The system has about 12,000 customers, and the free bottled water also affects people who use private wells in the area served by Little Hocking water in western Washington County.

Kim McMichael, 51, of 6549 State Route 550, Cutler, said he and his family have purchased bottled water since it was first announced that the chemical was in Little Hocking’s water back in 2002.

“It seems nice that we are getting this now, but I was a little more concerned about it two years ago,” McMichael said. “I will participate, and it will be appreciated.”

McMichael said he is currently paying about $4 for five gallons of water so his bottled water bills have been significant.

Citizens can be reimbursed for up to three gallons of drinking water per day for each person in the household. A claim form will be sent to all customers in about two weeks outlining how to be reimbursed.

The claims will be in effect until a formal program of proving drinking water is put into place. That free program is being administered by Garden City Group, a company reporting to Little Hocking Water.

No system has yet to be established for how that water will be distributed.

Also, all schools are immediately able to buy bottled water and submit bills to the Garden City Group for reimbursement. The school program will remain the same even after the claims for citizens has ended.

Eligibility for non-residential customers such as restaurants will be determined in a case-by-case basis.

As for private well owners, those citizens are eligible if it is determined that the C8 level is 0.05 parts per billion or greater.

Griffin said the free bottled water will be available for customers until the carbon filtration system is installed on the Little Hocking water system. Griffin said there is no timetable on the installation of that system, and it could be for up to six months.

“There likely will be a little bit of an overlap with the bottled water until we are certain the new system is up and running,” Griffin said.
 
Copyright © 2005 — The Marietta Times

 
Fluoride Action Network | Pesticide Project | 315-379-9200 | pesticides@fluoridealert.org