Groundwater beneath Kokomo, Indiana is contaminated with chlorinated solvents and arsenic. These contaminants reached the city's municipal wells, which supply drinking water to roughly 55,000 residents. Indiana American Water Company, which operates the wells and treatment plant, first detected the solvents in untreated water during routine testing between 2007 and 2010. Federal testing confirmed unsafe levels of both chlorinated solvents and arsenic. The solvents are associated with dry cleaning and machinery cleaning operations.
The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal Superfund program's roster of priority cleanup sites, on March 26, 2015. NPL listing made the site eligible for long-term remedial action and federal funding, and it gave the EPA authority to oversee cleanup. An initial assessment was completed in June 2010. A filtering system has been installed to remove contaminants before treated water reaches residents.
Cleanup is in the investigation phase. The remedial investigation, which formally began on March 31, 2020, is estimated to finish between September and November 2028. A feasibility study to evaluate cleanup options is expected to start between January and March 2028. No cleanup remedy has been selected yet, and no physical construction of a remedy has begun. Current data are not sufficient to determine whether human exposure to contaminants is under control or whether groundwater migration has stabilized.
The site has not met the criteria to be considered sitewide ready for anticipated future use. Those criteria include achieving all cleanup goals, putting required land-use controls in place, and completing construction across the entire site. The EPA tracks these measures to gauge environmental progress over time.
Community members can review site documents at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library, Franklin Branch, at 220 North Union Street in Kokomo. Seven documents are currently available for public review online. Questions about the site can be directed to Kirstin Safakas, Community Involvement Coordinator, or Christopher Black, Remedial Project Manager, both with the EPA. The site also participates in the EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program, which helps communities plan for productive reuse of contaminated properties.
