MTBE

MTBE not a Threat to
Johnson County Water Supplies

There have been recent media reports about MTBE, a gasoline additive that reduces air pollution, leaking into some groundwater sources from underground storage tanks, particularly in states that have enacted stringent air pollution laws. MTBE stands for methyl tertiary butyl ether, a chemical used in reformulated gasoline to increase its oxygen content so it burns more cleanly than conventional gasoline. Reformulated gasoline is used in 17 states and the District of Columbia to reduce smog.

There is no indication that MTBE is present in local water supplies. Although the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has reported some incidences of MTBE leaking from underground gasoline storage tanks, only one water utility in western Kansas has been adversely affected.

WaterOne participated in a 1999 research project sponsored by the American Water Works Research Foundation to study MTBE. As a participant in this research, WaterOne provided a sample that was tested and which showed that MTBE was not present in raw water taken from the Missouri River. As a follow-up measure WaterOne  is currently conducting additional sampling for MTBE.

For more information concerning MTBE, contact WaterOne  at 895-1800 or visit the following web sites:

EPA: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw000/mtbe.html

American Water Works Association: http://www.awwa.org