Dover to put homes affected by contaminated wells on city water

DOVER, Del. – The City of Dover is taking steps to help out those affected by contaminated wells that are located near the Dover Air Force Base.

At a recent meeting, Dover’s utility committee voted to waive an annexation requirement so that residents and businesses affected by the contamination can get city water service.

You may remember that back in July, the Dover Air Force Base notified DNREC that several of their wells had been contaminated by man made chemicals, which can cause reproductive issues and increase the risk of cancer.

We’re told that residents and businesses who get put on the city’s water service as a result of all of this will actually reap some benefits.

Mayor Robin Christiansen said, “They will get some fire hydrants over on their side. They’ll realize the savings in their fire insurance because of having fire hydrants close to their property, so it should be a win win situation for the folks that are adversely affected.”

Before this latest move, the AFB had been providing bottled water to the affected properties.