Recent claims by the Town of Monroe supervisor regarding the contamination of the Village of Monroe’s Well #4 have understandably raised concerns. I want to take this opportunity to assure you that these claims are not based in fact. While it is true that the unpermitted salt shed on Schunnemunk Rd. is wrongly located in a Village aquifer protection area and should be addressed to prevent potential future contamination, it is important to distinguish between a potential source of contamination and an active hazard.
The salt shed is located over 3,000 feet from Well # 4. Extensive water testing, both recent and historical, dating back to before the salt shed’s construction, shows no evidence of unsafe contamination levels. In fact, the sodium and chloride levels in Well #4 have consistently remained well within safety guidelines for the majority of the population, with some of these levels being naturally occurring from the aquifer itself. To provide further clarity, Well #4 has never reached the hazardous sodium levels typically seen in salt shed contamination cases, where measurements can reach thousands of milligrams per liter. Over the past six years, sodium levels have consistently remained under 100 mg/L, with recent tests showing between 64-70 mg/L — well below the threshold of concern.
According to the New York State Department of Health, while there is no official drinking water standard for sodium, it is recommended that levels not exceed 20 mg/L for individuals on very low sodium diets and 270 mg/L for those on moderately restricted sodium diets. Well #4’s sodium levels comfortably fall within these recommendations and are typical for our region. Importantly, the levels only affect a small, highly sensitive demographic. In contamination cases, you would notice a salty taste, smell, and even corrosion to fixtures. If you experience any change in water quality, please report those concerns to us immediately.
Rest assured, your drinking water remains safe from salt contamination. For any additional information or to access the research data, feel free to contact me at mrichardson@monroeny.org or follow up with our village officials.
Maureen Richardson, Councilwoman
Town of Monroe