John J. Bryfonski, Chief of Police
55 Constitution Drive
Bedford, NH 03110
For Immediate Release
Friday, March 25, 2016
Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: john@jgpr.net
Bedford Police Invite Residents to Meeting to Discuss Town Water Supply
PFOA Levels Found in Pennichuck Water Works
Water Supply Remains Safe, but Long-Term Effects of Chemicals Not Known
BEDFORD, N.H. — Chief John Bryfonski and the Bedford Police Department invite residents to attend a public information meeting regarding water contamination in the Town of Bedford.
The meeting will be held Wednesday, March 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Peter Woodbury Elementary School, 180 County Road.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Pennichuck Water Works, and Bedford town officials will speak about the recent discovery of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) in water supplied to Pennichuck Water Works from the Merrimack Village Water District.
PFOA, a perfluorochemcial (PFC), is part of a family of manmade chemicals that were used for decades as ingredients to make products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease, and water. Many chemicals in this group, including PFOA, are commonly present in the environment and do not break down easily. Studies have shown that nearly all people have some level of PFCs in their blood. Potential health effects from exposure to low levels of PFCs are not well understood.
Officials would like to stress that there is no direct threat to the health of residents, and they are taking extreme precautions while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) further researches the effects of long-term exposure to PFOA. The water in all homes is safe to cook with and bathe in. No boil water order has been issued.
“This meeting is not meant to cause fear or panic in town,” Chief Bryfonski said. “Rather, we want to alert our residents to the measures that the state is implementing to keep them and their families safe.”
This meeting does not affect all Bedford residents, only those served by Pennichuck Water Works in the following areas:
- Greenfield Farms
- Cabot Preserve
- Parker Ridge
- Brick Mill
- Jenkins Road
Out of an abundance of caution, the NHDES will be providing bottled drinking water to residents using a private well for drinking water in these areas.
Residents are encouraged to contact the Bedford Town Manager at 603-472-5242 or the Bedford Police Department at 603-472-5113 with any concerns or questions before Wednesday’s meeting.
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