A local health department is warning parents about their concerns over well water near a children's learning center.

The Richland county health department sent letters to homeowners and businesses near the Madison Early Childhood Learning Center.

The health department fears the water may be contaminated with a chemical called "TCE." Health officials discovered it during a routine test this summer.

In September, soil at a cluster of homes in Newark contained the same chemical and the Ohio Department of Transportation's old plant was responsible for it.

ODOT is in the process of buying out the homeowners to get them out of harm's way.

TCE is a manmade chemical that smells slightly sweet. It is used as a cleaner and can be harmful to a person's health over a long period of exposure.

The Ohio EPA is investigating the issue in Mansfield, and plans to sample 30 private wells next week.

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