2005 ANNUAL DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT

PWSID #:  1090058              NAME:  Riegelsville Water Company

 

Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua de beber.  Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.  (This report contains very important information about your drinking water.  Translate it, or speak with someone who understands it.)

 

WATER SYSTEM INFORMATION:

This report shows our water quality and what it means.  If you have any questions about this report or concerning your water utility, please contact Richard Meade at 215-901-5102.  The Utilities Meeting, chaired by Stephen Lance, is held the third Wednesday of every month at 8:00 pm.

 

SOURCES OF WATER:

Our water sources are 3 municipal wells.  Two of which are located in Williams Township, one within the Borough of Riegelsville.  A Source Water Assessment of our sources was completed in 2003 by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP).  The Assessment has found that our sources are potentially most susceptible to agricultural activities and major road activities.  Overall, our sources have little risk of significant contamination.  Summary reports of the Assessment are available by writing to Riegelsville Water Company, PO Box 494, Riegelsville, PA  18077-0494 and will be available on the PADEP website at www.dep.state.pa.us (Keyword:  “DEP source water”).  Complete reports were distributed to municipalities, water supplier, local planning agencies and PADEP offices.  Copies of the complete report are available for review at the PADEP Southeast Regional Office, Records Management Unit at (484) 250-5900.

 

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general

population.  Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing

chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other

immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. 

These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.  EPA/CDC

guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other

microbiological contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791)

 

MONITORING YOUR WATER:

We routinely monitor for contaminants in your drinking water according to federal and state laws.  The following table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2005.  The State allows us to monitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently.  Some of our data is from prior years in accordance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.  The date has been noted on the sampling results table.

 

DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS:

Action Level (AL) – The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) – The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG) – The level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) – The highest level of a disinfectant that is allowed in drinking water.  There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.

Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG) – The level of a drinking water disinfectant below which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contaminants.

Treatment Technique (TT) – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

 

Mrem/year = millirems per year (a measure of                        ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter

radiation absorbed by the body)                                               (mg/L)

pCi/L = picocuries per liter (a measure of                           ppq = parts per quadrillion, or picograms per

radioactivity)                                                                          liter

ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter                       ppt = part per trillion, or nanograms per liter

(µg/L)

 

DETECTED SAMPLE RESULTS

 

Chemical

Contaminant (Inorganics, Organics, Radionuclides and Disinfection Byproducts)

MCL

In CCR

Units

 

 

MCLG

Highest

Level

Detected

 

Range of

Detections

 

 

Units

 

Violation

Y/N

 

Sources of

Contamination

 

Chlorine

1/19/2005 – 12/21/2005

 

4

 

4

 

.97000

 

.34500 - .97000

 

ppm

 

N

 

Water additive to control microbes.

 

Arsenic (IOC) 5/29/2003

 

50

 

0

 

3

 

3

 

ppb

 

N

Erosion of natural deposits; Runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics production.

 

Barium (IOC)

5/29/2003 - 6/13/2003

 

2

 

2

 

.037

 

.018 - .037

 

ppm

 

N

Discharge of drilling wastes; Discharge from metal refineries; Erosion of natural deposits.

 

Nitrate

3/17/2005 – 10/19/2005

 

10

 

10

 

5.2

 

.83 – 5.2

 

ppm

 

N

Runoff from fertilizer use; Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.

 

Thallium (IOC)

6/13/2003

 

2

 

.5

 

1

 

1

 

ppb

 

N

Leaching from ore-processing sites; Discharge from electronics, glass, and drug factories.

Haloacetic Acids (Five) 7/21/2005

 

60

 

n/a

 

1.10

 

1.10

 

ppb

 

N

By-product of drinking water disinfection.

Trihalomethanes

7/30/2004 - 7/21/2005

 

80

 

n/a

 

6.1

 

4. – 6.1

 

ppb

 

N

By-product of drinking water chlorination.

Alpha Emitters

7/28/2003

 

15

 

0

 

1.75

 

1.05 – 1.75

 

pCi/l

 

N

 

Erosion of natural deposits.

Uranium

7/28/2003

 

30

 

0

 

.33

 

.19 - .33

 

pCi/L

 

N

 

Erosion of natural deposits.

Combined Radium 7/28/2003

 

5

 

0

 

1.66

 

.05 – 1.66

 

pCi/l

 

N

 

Erosion of natural deposits.

 

** NO MCL’S OR TREATMENT TECHNIQUES WERE EXCEEDED **

                                 

 

 

Contaminant

Action

Level

(AL)

 

 

MCLG

90th

Percentile

Value

 

 

Units

# of Sites

Above AL of

Total Sites

Violation

Of TT

Y/N

 

 

Sources of

Contamination

Lead

1/1/2001 – 12/31/2001

15

0

4

ppb

0 out of 10

N

Corrosion of household plumbing.

Copper

1/1/2001 – 12/31/2001

1.3

1.3

.33

ppm

0 out of 10

N

Corrosion of household plumbing.

 

 

Microbial

Contaminants

 

 

MCL

 

 

MCLG

Highest # or %

of Positive

Samples

 

Violation

Y/N

 

Typical Sources of

Contamination

 

Total Coliform

Bacteria

5/19/2005

For systems that collect <40

samples/month:

•  More than 1 positive

    Monthly sample

 

 

0

 

 

1

 

 

N

 

Naturally present in

the environment.

OTHER VIOLATIONS:

 

We had a violation for late reporting for March 2005.  The lab failed to report before the deadline.  DEP requires this reporting violation to have been addressed.

 

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION:

 

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells.  As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or human activity.  Contaminants that may be present in source water include:

 

            •   Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants,

                 septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife.

 

            •   Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban

                 storm water run-off, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or                         farming.

 

            •   Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban

                 storm water run-off and residential uses.

           

            •   Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-

                 products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations,

                 urban storm water run-off and septic systems.

 

            •   Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production

                 and mining activities.

 

In order to assure that tap water is save to drink, EPA and DEP prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.  FDA and DEP regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

 

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants.  The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk.  More information about contaminants and potential health effect can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

 

OTHER INFORMATION:

 

About Nitrate:  Nitrate in drinking water at levels above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants of less than six months of age.  High nitrate levels in drinking water can cause blue baby syndrome.  Nitrate levels may rise quickly for short periods of time because of rainfall or agricultural activity.  If you are caring for an infant, you should ask for advice from your health care provider.

 

What is added to the water supply?  As a public water supplier, we add very small amounts of a chemical called chlorine to our water.  The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) requires that the water be disinfected prior to delivery.  Chlorine kills any germs or bacteria that might be present in the water mains as the water is delivered to our customers.  The water as it comes from the ground is generally free of harmful bacteria.

 

 

Across

  4. Shrimplike animal that lives in the        stream

  6. A light slender boat with pointed ends

  7. A black material used as fuel

  11. Slope of land next to a body of water

  12. An overflow of water onto dry land

  13. The areas that are the source of a        stream

  15. Waterproof boots worn in the stream

  17. Water in spaces between soil particles

  18. Insect that lives on the stream bottom

  19. Long narrow lowland between mountains

Down

  1. Living or growing in, on, or near water

  2. Spineless insect visible to the naked eye

  3. Respiratory organ of a fish

  5. Rain or snow melt that flows over land to              surface streams

  8. An element that humans and fish need to   breathe

  9. Acronym for abandoned mine drainage

  10. A common wetland plant

  12. Cold-blooded animal that lives in water  14. Liquid that flows in the streams

  16. A lowland area saturated with moisture  

 

 

 

 

Across

  4. Shrimplike animal that lives in the        stream

  6. A light slender boat with pointed ends

  7. A black material used as fuel

  11. Slope of land next to a body of water

  12. An overflow of water onto dry land

  13. The areas that are the source of a        stream

  15. Waterproof boots worn in the stream