Old Lyme’s health director this month painted a dire picture of conditions in the town’s beach communities, saying they “have created a perfect storm for serious health hazards to residents exposed to the groundwater.” Dr. Vijay Sikand warned residents, especially those who are elderly, pregnant or otherwise more vulnerable, are at risk for cancer and other serious health problems from polluted groundwater.

The solution, he said, are sewers in the Hawk’s Nest neighborhood, as well as the other Long Island Sound beach communities. Only sewer hookups throughout all the beach neighborhoods will end the public health risks, he reported.

Dr. Sikand’s blunt and uncompromising words add even more urgency to the fact that Old Lyme must end the debate and put sewer construction on a fast track. Old Lyme’s beach communities are a tightly packed collection of residences and businesses and their very proximity to one another makes it common sense, as well as imperative, that all are included in the town’s plans for a shoreline sewer project and further, that the project is moved along as quickly as possible.

Even as news of Dr. Sikand’s report to the town’s Water Pollution Control Authority spread, representatives of Hawk’s Nest continued to question the validity and extent of the data Dr. Sikand used to draw his conclusions. They contend their own data show water quality is within drinking water standards.

But Dr. Sikand said the data showing a public health risk throughout the communities is plentiful and conclusive: sandy soil, extremely dense development and septic system crowding creates a risk to all. “The comprehensive data we have accumulated reveal that groundwater in these areas is polluted and an obvious hazard to health judged by current clean water standards,” Dr. Sikand said.

It’s been four years since the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection noted the potential pollution in Old Lyme beach communities. Since then many residents have expressed skepticism about the level of pollution and called for alternatives to sewers. Clearly, many beach residents thought DEEP’s contentions were an over-reaction and an over-reach of state authority. The aversion to the cost of paying for sewers is understandable and looking at alternatives made sense.

Now, however, the town’s own health director has sounded an urgent alarm about the health risks along the Old Lyme shore. Officials must heed his words and residents of all the beach communities must pull together to solve this problem quickly and effectively