Key Points
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) have scheduled a community meeting for March 5 to address trichloroethylene (TCE) contamination.
- The contamination affects private drinking water wells in DeSoto and Marshall counties, particularly near the town of Byhalia.
- Federal and state agencies are coordinating the delivery of bottled water and whole-house filtration systems to affected residents.
BYHALIA, Miss. – Federal and state environmental officials will meet with residents in northern Mississippi this Thursday to provide updates on a growing response to chemical contamination in private drinking water wells.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) are investigating the presence of trichloroethylene (TCE), a volatile organic compound often used as an industrial solvent. The contamination has been detected in several residential wells across DeSoto and Marshall counties, centered near the Byhalia area.
Recent testing confirmed that some wells contain TCE levels exceeding the federal drinking water limit of 5 parts per billion. In response, the EPA is working alongside state partners to provide impacted households with bottled water and whole-house filtration units…