How does MTBE get into drinking water?
A. Contamination of drinking water with MTBE is most likely to be the result of a gasoline spill. Spills may be large, such as a leaking underground or above ground gasoline storage tank. Spills may be small, such as those that can occur while refueling, discarding old gasoline improperly, or leaking from vehicles. The larger the spill the greater the potential for widespread contamination of ground water, though small spills can sometimes have significant localized impacts depending on the vulnerability of nearby wells. Because of its solubility in water and resistance to decomposition, MTBE moves rapidly in groundwater, indeed faster than do other gasoline components such as the chemicals benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene. MTBE is also more difficult to remove from water than other gasoline components. Q. Is MTBE showing up in drinking water a new problem? A. No. Maine, one of the first states to document groundwater contamination with MTBE as a consequence of leaking undergr
