Features Applications Business/Policy Dairy Environment Protection Protection United States
Source of tainted Batavia, NY, wells mixed

May 28, 2014, Rochester, NY – A large dairy farm near Rochester, NY, has been cited for environmental violations in connection with the bacterial contamination of drinking-water wells in the town of Batavia, but it turns out cows weren’t the only critters to blame. Add humans to the list.

In March, about two-dozen private wells in the town were found to be contaminated with potentially harmful intestinal bacteria. Fingers were quickly pointed at a local 5,100-cow dairy operation that had spread cow manure on a field near the homes whose wells had been tainted. READ MORE