As if: arsenic in your water
/It was the poison of kings and the king of poisons. Until the 1830s arsenic was untraceable in the human body. As symptoms could take hours to appear, it was an inexpensive and discrete tool of assassins and beloved maiden aunts. Arsenic and Old Lace was based on a true story after all.
“Safe Arsenic Complexion Wafers” (1890)
Arsenic is used in our everyday life, from the alloys for lead-acid batteries to semiconductors and LEDs. Chromated copper arsenate (CCA) was used for pressure treated lumber until 2003, and still used for marine-grade plywood. If you are a smoker, you are breathing in approximately 0.8 to 2.4 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per pack. About 40 percent of that amount is deposited in your respiratory tract, quite a hit. Secondhand smokers are also inhaling arsenic. Sidestream smoke—the smoke released from the burning end of the cigarette—actually contains higher toxic concentrations than direct inhalation through a cigarette.
And arsenic is common in our water on Lummi Island, found mainly in wells drilled into the Chuckanut Formation, which is one of our bedrock aquifers. “Arsenic is a naturally occurring metalloid, a chemical element that has properties between a metal and a non-metal” explains Elizabeth Kilanowski, geologist and island resident. “It is toxic when ingested, and is a known carcinogen that can cause skin, bladder, and kidney cancers.” Elizabeth found that “70% of the wells completed in the Chuckanut Formation had arsenic concentrations above the maximum contaminant level with a median value of 32 parts per billion (ppb).”
You don’t need to drill to see the Chuckanut Formation. It is visible in the roadcut on North Nugent Road and as the beautiful lace sandstone formations you see along the beaches below West Shore Drive. “It is often a conglomerate of larger and smaller rocks and cemented sand,” says Elizabeth.
Chuckanut Formation sandstone
Where do you get your water?
Your drinking water is sourced from a water system. How your system is regulated is based on the number of connections:
A private well can serve up to two residences.
Group B public water systems, like Marine View Estates, serve fewer than 15 connections.
Group A water systems, like Isle Aire Beach Association, serve 15 or more connections.
So let’s take a look at an example of each water system type to discover how to deal with arsenic on our island. And we’ll see how Art Hohl, the longest certified operator on Lummi Island, had a hand in the success of each system.
Colleen McCrory
Private well with one residence
Besides being the owner of Lummi Island Realty, Colleen McCrory also considers herself a “water freak”. When she first moved to Lummi Island the standard for arsenic in drinking water was 50 ppb. Her well tested at around 40 ppb and she drank that water for almost 10 years. Then in 2001 the EPA standard for arsenic changed to 10 ppb, so Colleen installed a Kinectico system. “We’re down 185 feet, so we’re dealing with arsenic coming straight out of the sandstone down there.”
There is no "safe level" of arsenic
The maximum contaminant levels set by the EPA are enforceable standards that are set as close to the health goals as possible, considering costs, benefits, and the ability to detect and remove contaminants.
The EPA made a big change in 2001, adopting a lower standard for drinking water of 10 ppb which was previously 50 ppb. Most public water systems have had to comply with that new standard since 2006. The only exception is existing Group B systems that have not expanded since 2014, those systems are grandfathered at an arsenic standard of 50 ppb. (See WAC 246.291.170)
For 20 years the treatment system has been very effective. To make sure, Colleen has used Art Hohl to sample her water for years. Her last sample (just before this article was published) was “non detectable” for arsenic.
“It’s very localized depending on the depth of the well, in Art’s experience. “If it’s getting water from the glacial till and not down into the bedrock it’s not likely to have arsenic. If you go down to bedrock, which is the Chuckanut sandstone, you have the possibility of having arsenic. I know of wells that are 200 feet apart from each other at roughly the same depth. One has arsenic, one doesn’t.”
What about buying Lummi Island property with a private well? "Real estate values are dependent on utilities like septic systems, and clean running water.” Colleen counsels buyers to purchase property subject to complete information on both. But, she says, "I do want you to know the good news about arsenic is you can get it out of there. You don’t have to invest in a huge system.”
Colleen McCrory (center) with her team at Lummi Island Realty: Angie Dixon (left) and Serena Dabney (right)
Colleen uses a second well for irrigation that contains arsenic. As a gardener, Colleen wanted to know, “Is there arsenic in the food that I grow?” She had a raspberry bed inside her garden and some ‘volunteer’ raspberries growing outside the garden area. The volunteer berries were only watered by rainfall. “At the peak of the harvest I took raspberry samples from the garden area that had been irrigated with arsenic water, and took berries from outside the garden that had only been watered with rainwater.” Both sets of raspberries were lab tested for arsenic in 2016 and both results were non-detectable. “That answered my question. That was the juiciest crop I had at the height of their ripeness and I thought that would be a good subject to test arsenic in food.” Learn about how the FDA is regulating arsenic levels in food here.
Marine View Estates
Group B Public Water System with 14 connections
Group B systems are regulated by Whatcom County Health Department. However, when high levels of arsenic are detected, the Washington State Department of Health can step in, as John Kelly, the President of Marine View Estates discovered. “In 2008 we had decided to centralize arsenic treatment, which brought a lot of scrutiny from the State Department of Health.” The water system was required to do a three-month pilot program and test their treated water for arsenic monthly to validate that the new arsenic system was working. “They did approve it, and we continue to send compliance samples quarterly.”
John hired Art Hohl for Marine View Estates in 2007. “He, very quietly, is the person responsible for our success. Art has been invaluable in making sure we remain compliant with the Health Department. He’s always a step-and-a-half ahead of me when things need to get done.”
It’s a pleasant conundrum to know a discrete man. Art Hohl is actually a Doctor of Geology from Johns Hopkins University with special interest in geomorphology. Now, besides tending to water systems, he creates glassy marvels at Vitreous Visions, a favorite stop of the Lummi Island Artist Studio Tour.
Marine View Estates selected the AdEdge Water Technologies system, after hiring an engineer to design and permit the system. “The arsenic in our raw water runs from 210 to 217 ppb, and our pH is high. Of the four technologies investigated, AdEdge absorption media proved most effective,” John relates.
The arsenic treatment system at Marine View Estates
One of the first considerations about treating drinking water is the overall condition of that water, including the pH (how acidic or alkaline) and what species of Arsenic is prevalent. “The dominant arsenic species in the groundwater on Lummi Island was arsenate.” according to Erica Martell’s Masters Thesis from 2010, Naturally occurring aqueous arsenic and seawater intrusion on Lummi Island.
The species of arsenic
Arsenite, known as As(V) or ‘arsenic five’ is effectively coagulated and trapped in the arsenic filter media. Arsenate, or As(III) or ‘arsenic three’ is more difficult to remove. However As(III) can be converted to As(V) by oxidation using chlorine and then filtered from the water.
Ongoing operational costs were a big concern to John when choosing their system. “AdEdge media has to be freighted to us from Georgia and a changeout costs us about $5,000 including the labor. The nice thing is the spent media can be taken to the landfill—it doesn’t have to be treated as hazardous waste.” Based on past performance, Marine View Estate’s target is one million gallons and about 2 ½ years based on their usage.
“Without water the houses are worth nothing.”
John remembers the initial startup as an expensive jolt, approximately $44,000. “The association did not have a reserve fund, so anything that needed to be done had to be paid by an assessment to the members. We are fortunate that we have neighbors that understand the value of having water, because without water the houses are worth nothing.
“To avoid continually fineing ourselves, building a reserve is an absolute imperative.” John says that treating arsenic can be an expensive surprise. “To better prepare for the inevitable, it just makes sense to build a reserve. This equipment also wears out and has to be maintained and replaced eventually.”
Early indicators of arsenic poisoning
The first symptoms of long-term exposure to high levels of inorganic arsenic—like drinking water and food—are usually observed in the skin, and include pigmentation changes, skin lesions and hard patches on the palms and soles of the feet (hyperkeratosis).
Isle Aire Beach Association
Group A Public Water System with 62 connections
Mike Kmiecik is the Water Manager and serves on the board for Isle Aire Beach Association. Art Hohl has been the operator there since 2000, and the arsenic treatment system was installed in 2007. This is a Flex-A-Sorb process by Mobile Process Technology, now Envirogen Technologies. Mike says, “We have four vessels as part of the process which usually processes around 1.7 million gallons of raw water and needs to be recharged every 12 to 16 months on our present usage average.”
Art Hohl with the Isle Aire arsenic treatment system
Isle Aire’s filter media stays in the vessels to be shipped back to the manufacturer for disposal and exchanged for fresh vessels. A change out costs over $10,000. Mike describes the logistical challenge of exchanging the containers, “We have to ship the vessels to Memphis Tennessee.” Last year there were no freight carriers left in Bellingham so we have to take them to Everett for shipment to Envirogen for a four to six-week turn around. And of course we have to pick them up in Everett and return to the Island.” Isle Aire keeps four additional filter vessels ready on-site so the system can be changed out with minimal interruption
As a Group A system, Isle Aire is regulated by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). Before they installed their treatment system, arsenic levels in 2007 ranged from 28 to 39 ppb, averaging over three times the maximum contaminant level. Their most recent arsenic sample (March 1, 2021) had a result of just 1.3 ppb of arsenic. “The proof is in the testing results,” as Mike knows. “It works well and meets the DOH requirements when monitored and reviewed monthly. I have never heard any comments from the users on our water quality. Trust me, I would be the first to hear any negative issues.”
From the Office of Drinking Water
“Careful monitoring is one of the key elements of effective treatment.”
Laura McLaughlin is the DOH Regional Engineer that oversees all the Group A systems on Lummi Island. That also includes Lummi Island Scenic Estates Community Club, Hilltop Water Owners Association, and Owners Association of Beach Club Condos. We reached out to Laura for her perspective. “Optimizing treatment and consistent monitoring and testing can help keep arsenic concentrations low. I’m often struck by the seriousness of chronic exposure. It can cause diseases that affect the cardiovascular system, kidneys, skin, nervous system, or cause various forms of cancer. Reducing the amount of arsenic in drinking water could significantly reduce health risk.”
Laura emphasizes that maintenance and monitoring are important. “Arsenic treatment typically has several components and requires careful monitoring. If one hose gets clogged or an injection pump goes down, it could stop the entire treatment system from working properly. Careful monitoring is one of the key elements of effective treatment.”
There is an interesting nuance that county and state health departments require different responses to arsenic results higher than the maximum contaminant level (MCL). Art relates that, “at Marine View Estates [a Group B system] we once had a single sample of 11 ppb” This is just over the 10 ppb MCL for arsenic. “The County Health Department required everybody to be notified and it was a big deal. But the State Department of Health standard with Group A systems is a running average. So Group A systems can be over 10 ppb one or two times, as long as the average is less than 10 ppb.”
Testing for arsenic
DOH encourages private well owners to test for arsenic twice a year. In Washington many wells are higher than 10 ppb . The only way to know how much arsenic is in your water is to test it. Because the amount of arsenic in well water can vary throughout the year, you should test once in the late summer and once again in the early spring to see if there are seasonal differences.
Arsenic distribution in wells from North Lummi Island Hydrogeologic Investigation, 2006 by Aspect Consulting
Art can back this up with local experience. “Some wells seem to have steady arsenic levels and some change. Who knows what’s going on underground. You could have a well with no arsenic that gets pumped for a long time and it starts drawing off a distant area that has arsenic. Or vice versa, you could have arsenic in a well and clear it out by pumping. It’s complex!”
Exposed glacial till above the shoreline gives a sense of what a glacial till aquifer looks like in cross section. Photo by Elizabeth Kilanowski.
The 2006 Aspect Consulting report North Lummi Island Hydrogeologic Investigation hypothesized that wells in elevated arsenic levels glacial till were caused by pulling water from the arsenic-laden sandstone.
A glacial till aquifer “is a complicated mix of thin layers of sand and coarse sediment.” Elizabeth Kilanoski explains. Don’t think of it as some sort of underground lake. Instead, “water is held in place between the sand and rock grains.”
This makes sense as spikes in arsenic level are common in autumn, possibly a result of summer use depleting the water in the glacial till. Another reason not to waste water and over pump your well!
The data on arsenic in raw water is limited. This is because Health Departments usually require the treated water to be sampled if a water system is regulated to reduce arsenic levels. While new wells are required to test raw water for arsenic, existing water systems are primarily concerned that the arsenic treatment process has successfully removed the contaminant.
Public water systems are required to sample for arsenic and other contaminants depending on their status and history. These compliance test results are publicly available at the Washington State Water System Data, Sentry Internet. Search for your water system and then select the Samples tab. Arsenic test results are identified as “AR” in the Test Panel column.
Art Hohl has an arsenic test kit and is available to test local water samples for a nominal fee. It’s not a certified lab result, but it will indicate if there might be an arsenic problem. Email Art at arthohl@gmail.com.
Did Napoleon die by wallpaper?
Schelle’s Green, a brilliant green dye, was used to make the wallpaper in Napoleon Bonaparte’s bedroom, where he was exiled on St. Helena Island. Arsenic was the special ingredient that created this attractive color. It has been speculated that the humid environment of St. Helena caused the arsenic in the wallpaper to off-gas, poisoning Napoleon and contributing to his death.
Made with arsenic, the brilliant and deadly pigment Scheele’s Green was used for clothing, wallpaper, and toys though the end of the 19th century.
However, when Napoleon’s hair was sampled for arsenic at different ages, the findings suggested he absorbed arsenic throughout his life. Over the time of his life, Napoleon’s hair had an average level of 10,000 ppb! Arsenic in hair samples from people living 200 years ago was found to be 100 times greater than the average levels in hair from people living today.
Drinking safe, clean water is one of the most effective ways to minimize accumulating arsenic in your body.
Thankfully we now have an awareness of arsenic that previous generations did not. Elizabeth Kilanowski’s mother told her about the days when the insecticide Paris Green was widely used on farm lands in the early 1900s. In the 1950s on Lummi Island, bare handed reefnetters would paint chromated copper arsenate on their cedar floats to preserve the wood. Times change.
It’s not possible to avoid arsenic completely. Drinking safe, clean water is one of the most effective ways to minimize accumulating arsenic in your body. And the technology is there to remove arsenic from water. Art Hohl’s advice is to “talk to a water treatment company about the best system for you. You could also just treat with a little reverse osmosis system under your sink for just your drinking water, if your level is not too high. Believe me it can be treated, you can treat for it!”
Co-Authors
Mike Skehan | email
MANAGER OF RIDGE WATER ASSN, PAST OWNER OF LUMMI WATER WORKS, MGR OF HILLTOP WATER AND SUNSET BEACH WATER, (WATER DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST, BASIC TREATMENT OPERATOR), RETIRED.
Isaac Colgan | email
