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    <title>CheckYourTap Water Quality Blog</title>
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    <description>Investigations, guides, and analysis about drinking water quality in Connecticut. From lead pipes to PFAS contamination to well water risks — data-driven reporting for homeowners.</description>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Is the Salt in Your Water Softener Bad for You? The Honest Answer for Connecticut Homeowners.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/water-softener-salt-health-concerns-ct/</link>
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      <pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[At 171 ppm hardness, a CT softener adds 117 mg sodium per liter -- less than a slice of bread. Here's when that matters and when potassium chloride is better.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Hard Water</category>
      <category>Water Softener</category>
      <category>Health</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[New Milford Residents Found PFAS in Their Wells. The Source Was a Paper Mill That's Been There for a Century.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/new-milford-kimberly-clark-pfas-wells/</link>
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      <pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[April 2024 well tests near Kimberly-Clark's New Milford mill showed PFAS above EPA limits. The facility has operated since the 1890s -- over a century of PFAS.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>New Milford</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[There's Uranium in Some Eastern Connecticut Wells. It's Not from a Nuclear Plant.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/uranium-eastern-ct-wells-granite/</link>
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      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Eastern CT's granite bedrock dissolves uranium into well water above the EPA's 30 mcg/L limit. A $30-$50 add-on test can detect it. Mortgage tests never include it.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Uranium</category>
      <category>Radionuclides</category>
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      <title><![CDATA[Reverse Osmosis Removes Almost Everything. Here's What Connecticut Homeowners Need to Know Before Buying One.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/reverse-osmosis-what-it-removes-ct/</link>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[RO removes 95%+ of PFAS, lead, arsenic, nitrates, and uranium. But it wastes 3-4 gallons per gallon produced. Here's who in CT actually needs one ($300-$800).]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Water Treatment</category>
      <category>Reverse Osmosis</category>
      <category>Filtration</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Hard Water Is Destroying Your Water Heater. Here's What It's Actually Costing You.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/hard-water-appliance-damage-ct/</link>
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      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[75% of water heaters fail by year 12 from hard water scale. At 171 ppm in Newtown, CT homeowners lose 24% heater efficiency in the first year of operation.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Hard Water</category>
      <category>Appliances</category>
      <category>Home Maintenance</category>
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      <title><![CDATA[Your Well Tested Positive for Coliform Bacteria. Here's What That Actually Means — and What It Doesn't.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/private-well-bacteria-ct-what-it-means/</link>
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      <pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli are 3 different results with 3 different risk levels. Here's how CT well owners should respond to each one.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Bacteria</category>
      <category>Coliform</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Chemical Your Water Utility Uses to Keep You Safe Is Creating New Problems in the Process]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/chlorine-byproducts-ct-municipal-water/</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[A 2010 meta-analysis linked chlorinated water to a 35% increased bladder cancer risk. CT's surface-water systems produce THMs and HAAs you should filter out.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Disinfection Byproducts</category>
      <category>Municipal Water</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Killingworth's Water Was Contaminated by the Town's Own Fire Department. This Is Happening Across Connecticut.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/killingworth-pfas-fire-department/</link>
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      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[CT DPH has mapped nearly 700 PFAS-contaminated sites statewide. In Killingworth, AFFF foam from the volunteer fire department contaminated the town's own wells.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>AFFF</category>
      <category>Killingworth</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Boiling Your Water Removes Some Things and Concentrates Others. Know the Difference Before You Boil.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/boiling-water-what-it-removes-what-it-doesnt/</link>
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      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Boiling kills bacteria but concentrates lead, PFAS, nitrates, and arsenic. A 2026 Yale study confirmed boiling can increase metal concentrations in your water.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Water Treatment</category>
      <category>How-To</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Hard Water Is Adding $500 a Year to Your Energy Bill. Most Connecticut Homeowners Have No Idea.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/water-heater-hard-water-ct-cost-math/</link>
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      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Hard water at 171 ppm costs CT homeowners $960/year in water heater energy alone. A 16% efficiency penalty from scale adds $300-$500/year across appliances.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Hard Water</category>
      <category>Energy Costs</category>
      <category>Water Heater</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Greenwich Has 1,500 Suspected Lead Pipes. Wealth Doesn't Buy Better Infrastructure.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/greenwich-lead-pipes-wealthy-towns/</link>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Greenwich has 1,500+ suspected lead service lines despite $150K median income. Pre-1986 homes across Fairfield County share the same lead pipe infrastructure.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Lead</category>
      <category>Greenwich</category>
      <category>Fairfield County</category>
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      <title><![CDATA[The Water Test Your Bank Required Doesn't Test for What's Actually Dangerous]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/mortgage-water-test-not-enough/</link>
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      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[CT mortgage water tests skip PFAS, radon, uranium, and lead. A comprehensive test costs $400-$700 — less than one mortgage payment — and covers 29 PFAS compounds.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Testing</category>
      <category>Home Buying</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Connection Between Your Water, Your Thyroid, and Your Hair That Nobody Is Making]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/pfas-thyroid-hair-loss-connection/</link>
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      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[A 2020 meta-analysis of 23 studies found PFAS-thyroid links are 'consistent and robust.' Fairfield County's $150M PFAS problem may be driving thyroid disease.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>Thyroid</category>
      <category>Hair Loss</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Rotten Egg Smell in Your Well Water Is Telling You Something. Listen to It.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/rotten-egg-smell-well-water-ct/</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in CT wells signals bacterial activity that can harbor coliform. Sulfur bacteria thrive in low-oxygen wells across 4 major CT valleys.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Hydrogen Sulfide</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[A Practical Guide to Water Quality in Connecticut's Major Towns — What's Actually in the Water Where You Live]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/connecticut-water-quality-by-town-guide/</link>
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      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Connecticut's 169 towns each have different water risks. Newtown hardness hits 171 ppm, Greenwich has 1,500+ lead pipes. See your town's specific concerns.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Water Quality</category>
      <category>Town Guide</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Your Connecticut Water Bill Is Going Up Because of PFAS. Here's What You're Actually Paying For.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/ct-water-bill-pfas-surcharge-2026/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/ct-water-bill-pfas-surcharge-2026/</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[A new PFAS surcharge hit 110,000 CT Water customers in 2026. Aquarion's $150M cleanup is next. Here's what the charge covers and why you're footing the bill.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>Policy</category>
      <category>Water Bills</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Connecticut River Valley Grows Beautiful Tobacco. It's Also Putting Nitrates in Your Well.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/connecticut-river-valley-nitrates-farming/</link>
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      <pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[One East Windsor family's nitrates jumped from 5.6 to 20 mg/L — 2x the federal limit — after Hurricane Ida. Farming runoff and CT's permeable soils are why.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Nitrates</category>
      <category>Agriculture</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Connecticut Homes Built Before 1978 Have Two Lead Problems. Most Homeowners Only Know About One.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/lead-paint-lead-water-double-exposure-ct/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/lead-paint-lead-water-double-exposure-ct/</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[60% of CT homes were built before 1980. Lead paint, lead solder, and lead service lines often coexist in the same house — and the exposures are additive.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Lead</category>
      <category>Housing</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Navy Has Been Poisoning the Water in Groton for Decades. The People Who Live There Are Just Finding Out.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/groton-new-london-military-pfas/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/groton-new-london-military-pfas/</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The Naval Submarine Base New London is an EPA Superfund site. PFAS from decades of firefighting foam has reached private wells within miles of the Groton base.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>Groton</category>
      <category>Military</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Your Well Water Arsenic Test Came Back 'Safe.' Here's Why That Might Not Mean What You Think.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/arsenic-ct-wells-what-safe-means/</link>
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      <pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[The EPA's 10 ppb arsenic limit carries a 1-in-300 lifetime cancer risk — far above the typical 1-in-10,000 trigger. Here's what CT well owners need to know.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Arsenic</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Connecticut Kids Are Still Being Exposed to Lead at School. Flushing the Pipes Isn't a Solution.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/connecticut-schools-lead-water/</link>
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      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Children absorb lead at 4-5x the adult rate. Waterbury schools have suspected lead service lines and $53M in federal funds won't replace them all for a decade.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Lead</category>
      <category>Schools</category>
      <category>Health</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Your Water Quality Report Arrived. Here's How to Actually Read It.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/checkyourtap-how-to-read-your-water-report/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/checkyourtap-how-to-read-your-water-report/</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Lead's legal limit is 15 ppb but the health goal is zero. Learn what MCL vs. MCLG means, why 'ND' doesn't mean safe, and what your CCR won't tell you.]]></description>
      <category>Guide</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>How-To</category>
      <category>Water Quality</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Your Shower Is the Most Dangerous Room in Your House If You Have a Well in Litchfield County]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/shower-radon-litchfield-county/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/shower-radon-litchfield-county/</guid>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Litchfield County averages 5.0 pCi/L radon — above the EPA's 4.0 action level. A hot shower can raise bathroom radon 10-20x. Here's what well owners must know.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Radon</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Litchfield County</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Bridgeport Has the Same Lead Pipe Problem as Flint. Nobody's Calling It That.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/bridgeport-lead-water-income-gap/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/bridgeport-lead-water-income-gap/</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Bridgeport has CT's highest concentration of suspected lead pipes, clustered in its poorest neighborhoods. $53M in federal funds covers only half the problem.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Lead</category>
      <category>Bridgeport</category>
      <category>Environmental Justice</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Fairfield County Has a PFAS Problem and Your Water Bill Won't Fix It Until 2031]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/fairfield-county-pfas-2031/</link>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Aquarion's $150M PFAS cleanup won't finish until 2031. Meanwhile, 19 CT water systems exceed new EPA limits. What Fairfield County residents should do now.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>Fairfield County</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Connecticut's Crumbling Foundation Crisis Taught Us One Thing. The Well Water Crisis Is Next.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/crumbling-foundations-well-water-crisis/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/crumbling-foundations-well-water-crisis/</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[No mandatory testing, no insurance, no clear agency in charge. CT's well water crisis mirrors the pyrrhotite disaster — but a $200-$500 test can protect you now.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Policy</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Your Waterbury Water Is Soft. That's Actually Why You Should Worry About Lead.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/waterbury-soft-water-lead-pipes/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/waterbury-soft-water-lead-pipes/</guid>
      <pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Waterbury's water sits at just 53 ppm — soft enough to corrode lead pipes faster. Up to 8,000 lead service lines remain active across CT. Here's the risk.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Lead</category>
      <category>Waterbury</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Is Your Connecticut Water Making Your Hair Fall Out? Here's What the Research Actually Says.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/hard-water-hair-loss-ct-real-science/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/hard-water-hair-loss-ct-real-science/</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[Fairfield County water hardness tops 170 ppm. A 2016 study proved hard water reduces hair tensile strength. Here's the real science on breakage vs. hair loss.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Hard Water</category>
      <category>Guide</category>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[You're Pregnant in Connecticut. Here's What to Know About Your Water Before Your Next Glass.]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/ct-water-quality-pregnancy-what-to-know/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/ct-water-quality-pregnancy-what-to-know/</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[PFAS, lead, and nitrates all cross the placenta. A 2020 study linked prenatal PFAS to reduced birth weight. What CT pregnant women need to know about tap water.]]></description>
      <category>Health</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>PFAS</category>
      <category>Lead</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Pregnancy</category>
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    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[The Water Test You Got When You Bought Your House Is Worthless Now]]></title>
      <link>https://www.checkyourtap.com/blog/well-water-test-worthless-now/</link>
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      <pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
      <description><![CDATA[CT requires just one well test — ever. One East Windsor family saw nitrates jump 400% in 5 years after Hurricane Ida. Here's why your old test means nothing.]]></description>
      <category>Investigation</category>
      <category>Connecticut</category>
      <category>Well Water</category>
      <category>Testing</category>
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