The village continued to use the wells after it was determined in 1993 that they exceeded the maximum contaminant level for a carcinogen, 1,2-dichloroethane. The village submitted samples for testing to the Department of Regulation and Licensure from two new wells that were not used to provide water for residents' consumption. The Department's administrative order suspends the Village of Holbrook's permit to operate a public water system for 24 months unless certain conditions are met, including obtaining a new certified water operator and taking quarterly water samples for testing. One condition of the administrative order requires the village to notify residents about the unauthorized usage of the wells and the wells' most recent test results for 1,2-dichloroethane. This amount is the most allowed by statute and the first fine of that magnitude ever imposed on a public water supply system, according to Jack Daniel, administrator of the Environmental Health Division.
Civil penalties become part of the state's fund for public schools.
It can enter drinking water supplies as a result of improper waste disposal. Studies in animals have found nervous system damage, kidney disease, and cancerous tumors as a result of the chemical.