By Glenn Rolfe

CLARKSVILLE — A drinking-water advisory issued to residents of a small manufactured-home community Saturday will remain in effect until tests for contaminants determine that levels are below acceptable health standards.

Delaware’s Division of Public Health issued the warning to the Bethany Crest community, advising residents to use bottled water for drinking while the neighborhood’s system is evaluated for its concentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

“The advisory is still in effect and will remain until a solution to reduce exposure is in place,” DPH spokeswoman Mary Fennimore said Tuesday.

She added that test results are “expected in the next few days.”

DPH and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control are working with the water system’s operator and owner to identify other potential sources and evaluate the current system to recommend changes or upgrades, Ms. Fennimore said.

Bethany Crest is a manufactured-housing community with a small water system for approximately 55 homes serving about 120 residents, according to DPH.

The park is owned by state Sen. Gerald Hocker “and he has been providing water and is in communication with DPH on next steps,” Ms. Fennimore said.

It is located next to Hocker's SuperCenter grocery store, on the border of Millville.

Sen. Hocker said Tuesday he was shocked over the water issues.

“I put in all new infrastructure. I put in all new wells. I got a licensed operator that checks it almost daily. It was a complete shock,” he said.

After learning of the advisory, Sen. Hocker said plans swung into motion immediately to provide residents with water.

“In an hour’s time, I called my maintenance men back and sent them to every mobile home there, told them the problem and gave them water. I sent them back today with more water and told all the residents if this wasn’t enough, … to go over to my (supermarket), and it was to be billed to me,” Sen. Hocker said. “I had plenty of bottled water at the store. My tenants seemed to be happy with that.”

On Thursday, DPH said it received notice that a water sample collected Oct. 11 showed that source water in the Bethany Crest system had a concentration of PFAS at 70 parts per trillion, which is the Environmental Protection Agency’s advisory level for these compounds in drinking water.

The sample was of source water to the system, not the finished drinking water after treatment. It was collected as part of a proactive screening of public water sources throughout the state by DNREC.

Two previous Bethany Crest samples in recent months had also displayed concentrations near the advisory level, prompting repeat testing.

DPH is evaluating the Bethany Crest system and will provide technical guidance for any needed upgrades or additions for reducing PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals used in industry and consumer products.

PFAS are found in people, wildlife and fish and are known as “forever chemicals” because some can stay in bodies for prolonged periods and cause health problems with long-term exposure.

Sen. Hocker said he will be meeting, possibly as early as Wednesday, with the Delaware Rural Water Association and engineers.

“I was told that I could add to this system, and that would take these PFAS out. I am meeting tomorrow to try to make that happen as quick as we can,” he said. “I do have a good (water) system, but it doesn’t take out (PFAS).”

Meanwhile, DNREC is conducting an assessment to identify potential sources of the contamination and to determine if other area wells show similar PFAS levels.