City officials say they found a chemical known as TCE while testing ground water recently at the Montgomery Zoo. They had hoped to use the water in the zoo's new elephant exhibit, but the discovery forced a change in plans.

The underground wells in question are no longer in use. Instead, the water surrounding the elephant exhibit is coming from city pipes.

TCE is the same substance found in 2001 under several nearby subdivisions. The state department of transportation admitted to dumping the chemical years ago.

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"We are monitoring the health of the elephants on a regular basis," said city spokesman Michael Briddell. But he admits the elephants never came in direct contact with the chemical. Even if they had, Briddell says the concentration level would not have harmed them.

"You and I can go swimming in water that's 500 parts (of TCE) per billion. We can eat fish in water that's 70 parts per billion," Briddell explained. "The water that came from the well was 40 parts per billion and it dissipated in concentration once it hit the atmosphere."