PERU — The Board of Selectmen learned Monday evening that recent tests on the Worthley Pond public spring are negative for bacteria and fluoride.

Board secretary Angela Barkhouse said she received the results from the E. coli and coliform bacteria tests, and both were negative. She said the fluoride was well within the normal range.

The spring is located on Greenwoods Road and is used for drinking water. 

Chairman Lee Merrill asked Barkhouse if the state provided instructions on what to do if the fluoride levels were above normal.

“Not that I know of,” Barkhouse replied. “I know that if a test comes back positive for E. coli or coliform, the state sends someone down to do their own test to make sure that I didn’t make a mistake.”

Barkhouse added that the arsenic test for the spring had not come back yet.

“I took the test at the same time as the other ones, but the results are taking a little longer to come in,” Barkhouse said.

In other business, Road Commissioner Joe Roach told selectmen the gravel roads were “holding up well” during the slow thaw.

“I don’t think this is over yet,” Roach added. “You never know. It could get warm and rain out of nowhere. That would make the roads get messy real quick.”

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