Wright Ground Water Contamination

Overview

Wright Ground Water Contamination sits in Wright, Kansas and has been on the National Priorities List since June 1996. Contamination was first discovered in 1988 when private well testing turned up volatile organic compounds, nitrates, pesticides, and heavy metals above drinking water standards. About 45 of the town's 70 water supply wells were affected. At the time, residents had no municipal water supply and relied entirely on private wells.

The two contaminants of concern are trichloroethene (TCE) and tetrachloroethene (PCE). TCE is a colorless liquid solvent used mainly to degrease metal parts and found in some paint removers and spot removers. PCE is a chlorinated solvent with an ether-like odor, commonly used in dry cleaning and metal degreasing. Both have a maximum contaminant level of 5 micrograms per liter in drinking water. Contamination is in the groundwater, and it is unlikely contaminants would release into the air or soil.

The core cleanup actions are a municipal water line built in 1997 and a monitored natural attenuation strategy, meaning naturally occurring processes are expected to reduce contaminant levels over time. A network of groundwater monitoring wells tracks contaminant movement. The Record of Decision was signed September 25, 2007, and remedial action construction was finished by July 2008. A groundwater ordinance adopted March 5, 2024 restricts new well installation in contaminated areas. In September 2024, operation and maintenance responsibilities transferred from EPA to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The 2023 Five-Year Review deferred a final protectiveness determination because vapor intrusion sampling had not yet been completed. Vapor intrusion refers to contaminants moving from groundwater through soil and into buildings. That sampling ran from December 2023 through August 2024, and findings will appear in a Five-Year Review Addendum due in September 2025. The next full five-year review is estimated between August and October 2028. Current performance measures show human exposure is under control, groundwater migration is stabilized, physical construction is complete, and required land-use restrictions are in place.

Residential, commercial, and agricultural uses continue in the area. Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.