Maeystown, Ill. — The warning remained in effect late last week against infants six months or younger not drinking the water, while local and state authorities search for the source of high levels of nitrates in this village’s two wells, located in the middle of agricultural areas. Randy Rudloff, well operator, told Green Markets that levels are still rising – but not as fast as earlier readings, when samples showed contamination at 10.77 mg/l. “It’s been up only few tenths of a milligram in a week or so,” Rudloff reported. “We have suspended the bulk water sales to local people who don’t have city tie-ins because we can’t notify people of the possible hazards. We have our engineer working on it trying to find a solution, and they have several options we’re looking at.” He added that there hasn’t been a lot of support from state agencies “probably because their finances aren’t in good shape at this point.” Maeystown officials held a meeting at the local church to try to ease the fear that some residents may have about the nitrate contamination. The entire village of Maeystown, a small historic village in Monroe County in the metro area east of St. Louis, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Since that time, the small community of approximately 150 residents has become a popular site for visitors to the area.
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