Tutu Wellfield

Overview

Tutu Wellfield covers about 108 acres of contaminated groundwater in east-central St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The site was added to the National Priorities List in September 1995 after volatile organic compounds and petroleum products were found in supply wells in July 1987. Those wells had served as major drinking water sources for the island. EPA identified four contamination sources, including leaking underground storage tanks at two gas stations and a dry cleaner property. The Curriculum Center property is a key source, containing perchloroethylene and dense nonaqueous phase liquids, which are heavy contaminants that sink through groundwater.

EPA has identified 38 contaminants of concern at the site. They include volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, toluene, and xylene. Metals including arsenic, chromium, lead, mercury, and nickel are also present. Most contamination is in groundwater, but some contaminants also appear in soil. A plume originating at the Curriculum Center stretches about 1,600 feet south and 500 feet wide, with concentrations exceeding 1,000 parts per billion near the source.

EPA responded quickly in 1987 and 1988 by closing contaminated wells, cleaning residential cisterns, and providing alternate water supplies. Affected residences are now connected to the public water system. Starting in 2003, EPA built groundwater extraction and treatment systems. Hurricanes in 2017 disrupted operations, but repairs were completed in June 2021. A cleanup plan finalized in September 2021 calls for expanding the treatment system at the Curriculum Center property. Engineering design wrapped up in December 2023, and construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2025. The expanded system will add extraction wells, monitoring wells, injection wells, and upgraded treatment equipment.

Current status shows that construction of prior cleanup activities is complete, but the site has not been deleted from the National Priorities List. Human exposure is under control, but groundwater migration is not yet under control, meaning the contaminated plume remains unstable. Additional cleanup goals must still be met before the site is ready for anticipated reuse. A five-year review was completed in July 2024. The Estate Tutu area around the site remains active, with commercial businesses, schools, churches, and homes operating in the community.

Community members can get updates through EPA community notifications, the most recent of which was issued in November 2025. Site documents are available at the Virgin Islands Field Office at 1336 Beltjen Road, Suite 102, St. Thomas, VI 00801, and at the EPA Superfund Records Center at 290 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10007. For direct questions, residents can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator.