Larry Washburn figures he should get more than the list price of $134,000 for his 2,400-square- foot geodesic dome house tucked away on 20 wooded acres in a scenic area of Wexford County.

But the house has been on the market for months, even as the price dropped from $180,000. Washburn worries he won't find a buyer.

The catch is that the home is less than a mile away from the troubled Wexford County landfill, where contaminants from the dump leached into and ruined neighboring residential wells.

Washburn's water hasn't tested positive for contamination, and the house isn't located in an at-risk zone, but Washburn believes buyers are scared off by its proximity to the dump.

"I ain't in the box and I still can't get nobody to look at it," Washburn said, referring to a contamination zone where tainted water required some residents to have new wells drilled.

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Washburn isn't alone among Cedar Creek Township residents who are fed up with the contamination. Several are in a fight with county officials over an alternate water supply and many of them want a municipal water system, believing it's the only way to remove the tainted water stigma.

Some in the county — including Wexford County commission chair Larry Copley — want a study of a "deep well" solution. Copley said the decision ultimately will rest with the DEQ, whose officials will determine whether deeper wells are a viable alternative to a municipal supply.