Fayetteville OKs Water Lines to Residents With Contaminated Wells

Benzene seeped into the groundwater near the intersection of Old Raeford and Rim roads years ago from leaking underground tanks at a former gas station, state environmental officials said.

No one has been drinking the contaminated groundwater since 1988, when the leaking tanks were discovered. Since then, neighborhood residents hooked onto two uncontaminated wells in the area, officials said.

Extending water lines to 11 homes with contaminated wells would cost $175,000, but it’s unclear how the city would fund it. Taps on the new lines could be turned on in less than a year, officials said.