The Department of Environmental Protection has confirmed that local wells were impacted by a leak from a gas station on Interchange Road in Towamensing Township.

“Last week, the DEP sent a Notification of Affected or Diminished Water Supply letter to the owners of Lehighton Sunoco facility and the confirmed gasoline contamination impacts to the drinking water wells at nearby residences,” said Colleen Connolly, community relations coordinator for the DEP’s Northeast Regional Office.

“This means the DEP believes the gasoline odor is likely coming from this gas station. The gas station owner has been cooperative so far in our investigation.”

Dane Schaeffer, who lives on Interchange Road near the station, initially filed a complaint in regard to his well water smelling of petroleum in late April. Another similar complaint was filed by an unidentified homeowner around the same time. DEP employees were sent out to test the wells last week.

In a separate statement, Connolly said that 10 samples had been taken in the area as of Wednesday, with eight tests conducted so far.

“Three private wells have been impacted. We are waiting on results of the remaining samples,” she said.

In the letter from Environmental Protection Compliance Specialist Susan E. Thomas addressed to Lehighton Fuel & Fill LLC, in care of owner Sunil Patel, Thomas says that on May 3 the DEP received notification of a “reportable release of a regulated substance” as a result of an investigation regarding impacted water wells of properties adjacent to the gas station.

On the same day, the letter continues, the department notified a facility representative of their responsibility in regard to “affected or diminished water supply resulting from a storage tank system release.”

Water supply wells at two properties on Interchange Road were sampled and found to be affected by gasoline contamination, according to the letter.

“As required by the Corrective Action Process regulations ... you must provide a temporary water supply as soon as practicable but no later than 48 hours after notification by the Department of the affected or diminished water supply. You must also provide a permanent water supply within 90 days of the notification, on or before August 2, 2018,” Thomas said in the letter.

Brad Landis, who owns a home near the station on Preacher’s Camp Road, said that the DEP reached out to him in regard to testing.

“I actually had a business card from the DEP in my door. I called the number and they said they would come out and test my water,” he said, pointing out that he had not noticed any peculiar smell in his own water supply.

A DEP worker told Landis that his home was the furthest location down the road that they had tested so far.

Schaeffer said he has yet to hear of any test results, but he hopes to get information by next week.

Landis said that he was told to expect test results by early next week.

On Thursday afternoon, three men were seen working near the Sunoco tanks.

Various sources have said that Patel is working with the DEP and affected homeowners to address the leak and tainted water. Patel could not be reached for comment.

Connolly said that the matter is still under investigation, and that treatment systems have been installed at the affected homes.

While Schaeffer previously said that he had been troubled about the potential for well contamination when he bought his home six years ago, Landis said he never considered the issue before.

“To be honest with you, I didn’t, being that I was a little bit further away, that thought never came across my mind. Now, obviously, I’m concerned about it,” Landis said.