LINCOLNTON, N.C. — When the Hollis family bought their Lincoln County home in 2007, they fell in love with the community and quiet location.

What You Need To Know

• Abby Hollis and her family bought their home on Laboratory Road in Lincolnton in 2007, and their water source comes from a private well on the property
  
• In 2010, after a suggestion from a family friend, Hollis tested her well water for arsenic and it came back .20 ppm, which is 20 times the allowable limit set by the Lincoln County Environmental Department 
  
• The N.C. Department of Environment Quality says arsenic is naturally occurring in our region, and the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services says high levels of arsenic could lead to cancer, rashes or even death
  
• The family has spent over $12,000 to filter out the arsenic

"We love it here, we moved here from Charlotte, we wanted our children to go to Lincoln County Schools, it was perfect," said homeowner Abby Hollis. 

Before closing on their home, their drinking water, which is sourced from a private well in the front yard, had to pass a water inspection that tests for bacteria. The well was treated and passed inspection with no issues. 

After three years of living in their home, Hollis says a family friend suggested they test their water for arsenic. The sample collected during inspection did not include a test for arsenic, according to Hollis.

The sample came back positive, showing their water contained an arsenic level of .20 ppm. The allowable limit according to the Lincoln County Environmental Department is .01 ppm, meaning their drinking water was 20 times the allowable limit.

According to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, arsenic is naturally occurring in our region. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services says high levels of arsenic if ingested could lead to cancer, rashes or even death. 

Hollis says after that first sample came back positive, the county advised them to invest in a water filtration system. 

Over the last 12 years, the family has spent more than $12,000 on filtering their water. The filter has a media that needs to be changed out every five months to continue successfully filtering the arsenic. Each filter costs $900, and she has two of them. 

"Its just gotten to be too much, we cannot continue to pay that amount of money every few months just to be able to drink our own water," Hollis said. 

The county water line stops just a few feet from her home on Laboratory Road, Hollis has asked the county if they could extend the county waterline to her home so she doesn't have to continue to spend thousands every couple of months. 

Unfortunately, county leaders say extending the water line isn't feasible at the moment. 

When asked about the project, new County Manager Davin Madden explained in a statement the county is aware of the problem. 

"Lincoln County (the “County”) is aware of the issues related to the quality of certain wells on Laboratory Road in Lincolnton, and further recognizes the challenges for homeowners utilizing privately owned wells with water quality issues. County Management continues to work with multiple County departments to provide educational support and treatment information to its citizens in an effort to assist individual homeowners with decision making regarding their properties that is in the best interest of the homeowner. The County will continue to monitor and evaluate this situation in the same manner as the County does with any other issues affecting its residents. 

Unfortunately, the geographical location of Lincoln County within the State of North Carolina can impose certain challenges on its residents, and property owners, in regards to the construction of private wells and their water quality. These are challenges that are shared by several of our neighboring counties, including Catawba County, Cleveland County, Gaston County, and Alexander County. Lincoln County, and this Board, are hopeful that future development trends and opportunity may allow for continuing infrastructure improvement in more rural areas of the County that can help to minimize these issues with water quality."

Hollis and her family have stopped drinking the water, and do not use it to cook or brush their teeth. Hollis even refuses to water her herb garden with the well water. Instead, she buys gallons of water from the store so her family has a safe and reliable water resource. 

“It's not convenient at all, and as a mom, you try to cook home cooked meals, you try not to eat fast food and you want the best for them, and then you find out that this has been happening and it's worse than if they eat fast food every day. It was very heartbreaking, and frustrating to know that I had been giving my children... especially, we moved in this house when they were 2 years old and drank it for three years before we even knew," Hollis said.