When making plans for trips to exotic places you have undoubtedly been warned to not drink the water. Unless we want to add locations such as Bridgton, Belfast, and Baldwin to the list, we have to get serious about the harmful levels of arsenic in our wells.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring substance commonly found in soil and rocks, items we have an abundance of here in Maine. Arsenic can also be introduced into the environment by human actions though products with arsenic were greatly restricted in the 1960s.

The major health concern related to arsenic is an increased chance of getting some types of cancer such as skin, bladder and lung. Arsenic may also increase chances of developing liver and kidney cancer. Prolonged exposure to high amounts of arsenic can have detectable health effects including stomach and intestinal problems, skin blemishes, numbness, and reductions in the number of red and white blood cells.

Awareness is, far-and-away, the most important tool to fight the ill effects of arsenic. People need to know that if they get their water from an untested well, they are at risk of arsenic exposure. Just as important, people need to know that their wells can be tested and in-home treatment systems can remove the danger of exposure.

We are making slow but steady progress toward our goal of protecting public health from harmful levels of arsenic in our drinking water supply wells. We have dramatically raised awareness about the arsenic threat among policy makers and the public. We are also working with the real estate industry to ensure that homebuyers understand the problems associated with arsenic.

I introduced a bill this session to require testing of all private wells whenever homes are sold. While my bill was not enacted, the debate surrounding the issue generated an important commitment of support from the real estate industry. Specifically, the Maine Realtors Association has agreed to:

• Add “Arsenic in well water” to the list of recommended inspections in their purchase and sales agreement so that a homebuyer may decide to test for arsenic;

• Add a question and answer about arsenic in water to their Residential Property Transaction Booklet; and

• Make educational information about arsenic available to their agents.

The Real Estate Commission, a state agency, has agreed to further educate real estate agents about arsenic hazards in well water by linking their Web site to the Bureau of Health’s Web-based brochure “Have you tested your well water for arsenic?” and through newsletter articles and continuing education courses required of agents.

We will have a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of these voluntary measures in the year ahead. If homebuyers still do not receive timely information about arsenic in well water, then we will be in a much stronger position to advocate for testing and disclosure of arsenic hazards in the next session.

People interested in learning more about arsenic, its health effects, and how to prevent exposure should contact the Maine Bureau of Health. The agency has set up a toll free number specifically to deal with well water concerns. That number is (866) 292-3474. Information is also available by clicking the link for private homeowners at www.maine.gov/dhs/eng/water.

Rep. Gary Moore

Standish