Jim Chandler, caretaker of the Bryant Pond spring, collects a sample of spring water for testing. The water has been found safe to drink.

WOODSTOCK — Residents of Bryant Pond have been concerned about possible contamination of the local spring water amid claims of the smell of human urine around the well.

However, the spring’s caretaker, Jim Chandler, said he has found no evidence of contamination. The well is tested yearly for chemicals that could cause sickness, including a yearly E. coli test. The most recent test was done on Sept. 12.

The water also has been tested recently for coliform bacteria, which is found in both human and animal digestive tracts and waste, and can indicate the presence of fecal matter.

These tests came back entirely negative, with no trace of harmful chemicals, he said.

The spring is also tested yearly for nitrates, uranium, and several other harmful chemicals that could cause contamination or sickness. These tests have also routinely come back negative, Chandler said.

“In over the more than the 30 years where I have had the water tested, we have not had any sign of surface contamination,” he said.

In response to concerns, the pipes have recently been cleaned and sanitized thoroughly, to ensure the sanitary quality of the water, he said. The ground around the pipes has also been treated to ensure that no trace chemicals have washed onto the concrete or contaminated the area. The well also has a spotless history when it comes to suspected contamination.

Chandler said recent reports of a urine smell were the first in the 20 years that he has been managing the well. All testing reports are sent to the town. And according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency website, the Bryant Pond spring has no record of any health or monitoring violations in the past 10 years.