Main Street Well Field

Overview

Main Street Well Field sits on 10 acres in Elkhart, Indiana, and supplies about 70 percent of the city's public drinking water through 15 wells. EPA identified groundwater contamination in 1981 and added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List in September 1983. The broader site covers 48 acres and has been partly redeveloped into trails and the Wellfield Botanic Gardens while cleanup continues.

The main contaminants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs), especially trichloroethylene (TCE) and related chlorinated solvents in groundwater. A second group of contaminants at the source control area includes heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, along with vinyl chloride, xylene, and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil, groundwater, and solid waste. In total, EPA has identified 21 contaminants of concern across the site.

Potentially responsible parties installed an air stripper system, a groundwater extraction system, and a soil vapor extraction (SVE) system to address contaminated soil and groundwater. Construction of the main cleanup systems finished by September 1995, and the SVE system met cleanup goals in 2000. The city also received alternative water supplies, and interceptor wells were placed on both sides of the well field. Groundwater migration is currently under control, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.

Despite that progress, EPA found in 2025 that the remedy is not fully protective of human health. Vapor from contaminated groundwater can move through cracks into buildings, a process called vapor intrusion. In December 2025, EPA detected potential health risks to employees at two commercial buildings on the east side of the site from long-term vapor exposure. Sampling of buildings on the west side is underway. EPA plans to issue a Record of Decision Amendment in 2026 to address vapor intrusion and will keep investigating homes and commercial buildings. The City of Elkhart and the West Side potentially responsible party group jointly monitor groundwater. The next five-year review is due between June and August 2027.

Community members can review site documents at the Elkhart Public Library Reference Services, located at 300 S. Second Street. An interactive map showing where EPA is working on vapor intrusion is available, and the 2025 Addendum to the 2022 Five-Year Review Report provides further details. Two EPA staff members are available to answer questions directly.