Yarmouth Water
Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for the year ending
2003
Massachusetts Public Water Supplier # 4351000
We Want You
to Know About Your Drinking Water
If you have questions about
this report call the Water Superintendent, Dan Mills, at 508-771-7921
Yarmouth Water is committed to providing Yarmouth residents and visitors with highest quality drinking water 24 hours a day 365 days a year. To ensure we deliver this quality product Yarmouth Water has made significant investments in water treatment facilities, water quality monitoring, water source protection, and distribution systems. We are pleased to be reporting the results of our 2003 water testing directly to you the consumer.
Each year the Yarmouth Water conducts more than
1,000 water quality tests on samples taken throughout the Town of
Yarmouth. These tests confirmed that
your tap water meets all state and federal drinking water quality
standards. We will be mailing a report
to you each year with information about the quality of your drinking water.
Within the Town of Yarmouth there are 24 groundwater wells that draw water from 2 aquifers or lens. The Sagamore Lens which supplies most of the water for Yarmouth, and the Monomoy Lens, which supplies the remainder to a lesser extent. Your tap water may come from either of these sources depending upon where you live and the time of year. Emergency water supplies can be achieved through interconnections with the Dennis Water District, Barnstable Fire District, and the Barnstable Water Company. No emergency water supplies were required in 2003. Below is a listing of the locations of our water systems well sites. PS = Pumping stations.
PS 1 main - Union Street PS 1,2,3,14,20,24 - Higgins Crowell Road PS 4,5 - Long Pond Drive PS 6,7,8,9 North Main St.
PS 10 - Forest Road PS 11 - Kristin Path PS 13,18,19 - Chickadee Lane PS 17 - Horse Pond
PS 15,16,21,22 - North Dennis Road PS 23 - Midtech Drive
Even
though Yarmouth Water uses basic treatment techniques along with some of the
most advanced equipment available, it is still necessary to start with the
highest quality water sources. That is
why Yarmouth Water owns and protects over 963 acres of land surrounding well
fields and aquifer recharge areas. We
also inspect these areas regularly for any condition that could adversely
affect the quality of the water. In
addition our staff reviews and comments on local land development plans near
our well fields that could impact water quality. A complete list of all the contaminants tested for is available
at our offices, located at 99 Buck Island Road W. Yarmouth, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
Treatment Techniques (TT) applied to Your Water
The Yarmouth Water Department currently uses two distinct
treatment techniques through its service area.
The first treatment technique is for the purpose of adjusting the ph of
your water. This is accomplished by
adding Potassium Hydroxide to achieve a ph range of 6.8 to 7.2. The second treatment technique is for the
purpose of sequestering Iron and Manganese, this is accomplished by adding
Sodium Hexametaphosphate.
Source Water Protection Information
The DEP is currently preparing for the Town of Yarmouth
Water Department a Source Water Assessment study. However it is not yet complete.
The completed study is intended to delineate the boundaries of those
areas providing source water to our public water supply wells and identify, to
the extent practicable, the origins of any future contaminants in the
delineated area. Once complete, we will
share the results of the study with you the consumer.
Mandatory DEP Health
Statements
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 effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking
Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
Sources of Drinking Water (both tap and bottled water) in
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
presences of animals or from humans.
Vulnerable Population
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 microbial contaminants are available
from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
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 stormwater runoff,
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 stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
Organic chemical
contaminants, include synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come
from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, 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 ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the
DEP and EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants
in water provided by public water systems.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Department
of Public Health (DPH) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled
water that must provide the same protection for public health
Important Definitions
Maximum Contaminant Level or 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 or MCLG: The Level of
a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk
to health. MC>Gs allow for a margin
of safety.
Action
Level: The
concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements that a water system must follow.
Treatment
Technique (TT):
A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking
water.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA): was signed into law on December 16, 1974. The purpose of the law is to assure that the nation’s water supply systems serving the public meet minimum national standards for the protection of public health.
Total Coliform Bacteria, Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present
in the environment and are used as an indicator that other,
potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present.
Fecal Coliform and e. Coli, Fecal coliforms and e. Coli
are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with
human or animal waste. Microbes in
these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea,
headaches, or other symptoms. They may
pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with
severely–compromised immune systems.
pCi/l, picocuries per liter. A measure of radioactivity.
ppm, “Parts per Million” which is
also the same as saying Milligrams per liter (mg/l). One part per million corresponds to a single penny in $10,000.00
or one minute in a two year period.
ppb, “Parts per Billion” which is the same as saying Micrograms per liter. One part per billion corresponds to a single penny in $10,000,000.00 or one minute in a 2,000 year period.
As
amended and re-authorized by the 1996 U.S. Congress the SDWA requires that all
public water systems with piped water for human consumption with at least 15
service connections or a system that regularly serves at least 25 individuals,
must provide such consumers with an “Annual Drinking Water Quality
Report”. More information about
contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA
Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
Unregulated Contaminants
Unregulated
contaminants are those for which the EPA has not established drinking water
standards. The purpose of unregulated
contaminants monitoring is to assist the EPA in determining the occurrence of
unregulated contaminants in drinking water and whether future regulation is
warranted.
Variances and Exceptions
Yarmouth
Water was granted a renewal of waivers December 18,1998 by the Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Supply Office, not
requiring our system to monitor for synthetic organic compounds (SOC’s). Previous years of testing have indicated
that these substances do not occur in our source water. Yarmouth Water however does test for these
contaminants for our historical database and will continue sampling annually. A complete list of all the contaminants
tested for, is available at our offices, located at 99 Buck Island Road W.
Yarmouth, 8:30 am – 4:30pm. 771-7921
The water quality information presented in the
tables is from the most recent round of testing done in accordance with the
regulations.
All data shown
were collected during the last calendar year unless otherwise noted in the
table.
Regulated Contaminants |
||||||||
|
The
“Highest Level Detected” column represents the highest level detected of
sample result data collected during the Water Quality Parameters (WQP)
calendar year beginning January 1st, 2003 through December 31st,
2003. The “Range of Detection” column
represents a range of individual sample results, from the lowest to the
highest that were detected during the WQP calendar year. If a date appears in the “Date of Sample”
column, the State of Massachusetts DEP requires monitoring for this
contamination less than once a year because the concentrations found
previously do not frequently change.
If no date appears in the column, monitoring for that contaminant was
conducted during the annual WQP calendar year. |
||||||||
Microbial Contaminants |
||||||||
Yarmouth Results
|
||||||||
|
Contaminant |
MCLG |
MCL |
Highest Level Detected |
Range of Detection |
% of highest month |
Violation |
Date of Sample |
Typical Source of
Contaminant |
|
Total
Coliform 1 Bacteria (%
pos/mon) |
0 |
=5% |
7 |
0-6.5% |
6.5% |
Month of September |
Weekly 2003 |
Naturally
present in the environment. |
Inorganic Contaminants |
||||||||
|
|
# sites above
AL |
|
||||||
|
Copper (ppm) |
1.3 |
AL=1.3 |
0.25** |
<0.02 - .47 |
0 out of 37 |
None |
June 2001 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching from
wood preservatives. |
|
Lead (ppm) * |
0 |
AL=0.015 |
0.002** |
<0.001 – .037 |
1 out of 37 |
None |
June 2001 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits. |
|
Nitrate (ppm) |
10
|
10
|
4.8
|
<.30 – 4.8
|
N/A
|
None
|
First quarter 2003 |
Runoff
from fertilizer use. Leaching from
septic tanks, sewage; Erosion of natural deposits.
|
Unregulated
Contaminants
|
||||||||
|
Chloroform (ppb) |
N/A |
N/A |
7 |
0 –7.0 |
N/A |
Unregulated contaminant |
Second quarter 2003 |
Occurs
naturally here on Cape Cod. Future
studies by D.E.P. are planned to determine why. |
|
Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether
(ppb) |
N/A |
N/A |
1 |
0-1 |
N/A |
Unregulated contaminant |
Second Quarter 2003 |
MTBE; Fuel additive; leaks
and spills from gasoline storage tanks |
|
Sodium (ppm) |
N/A |
N/A |
31 |
8.7-31 |
N/A |
Unregulated contaminant |
Monthly 2003 |
Sodium
can occur naturally and can also be attributed to road runoff. |
Radioactive Contaminants
|
||||||||
|
Gross Alpha Activity (p/Ci/l) |
N/A |
15 |
1.1 |
0-1.1 |
N/A |
None |
8/12/03 |
|
|
Radium 226 (p/Ci/l) |
N/A |
5 |
0.5 |
0-0.5 |
N/A |
None |
8/12/03 |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
|
Radium 228 (p/Ci/l) |
N/A |
5 |
0.8 |
0-0.8 |
N/A |
None |
8/12/03 |
|
Total Coliform
1: The total coliform MCL was exceeded in
September. Regulations known as the
Total Coliform Rule require systems to test for bacteria on a regular monthly
schedule based on the population served.
During routine sampling, the laboratory reported detections of total
coliform. Coliforms are bacteria that
are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that
other potentially harmful bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a
warning of potential problems.
Additional testing determined the bacteria were not fecal in
nature. Upon exceeding the MCL, the
water department isolated the Prospect Hill water storage tank from the
distribution system, and a notice was posted in the newspaper.
*Lead sampling was from consumers systems which may
be effected by plumbing solder, less expensive brass alloy faucets and or
electrical grounding problems. ** 90th percentile action level,
which the EPA defines as the equation: (number of samples) x (0.9) = the sample
corresponding to the 90th percentile. *** Number of sites above action level. For more information, call the Yarmouth Water at 508-771-7921 ext
108 or visit our web site at www.yarmouthwater.org.
Consumer
Educational Statements
Nitrate. Infants below the age of
six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the MCL could become
seriously ill, and, if untreated, may die.
Symptoms include shortness of breath and blue baby syndrome. 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 advise from your
health care provider.
Lead. Infants and children who drink
water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in
their physical or mental development. Children could show slight deficits in
attention span and learning abilities.
Adults who drink this water over many years could develop kidney
problems or high blood pressure. It is
possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the
community as a result of materials used in your home's plumbing. If you are
concerned about elevated lead levels in your home's water, you may wish to have
your water tested. Additionally, flushing your tap for 30 seconds to two
minutes before using tap water to reduce lead content. Additional information
is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 1-800-426-4791
Water Related Informational
/ Educational Sites
Visit
these web sites at your public library or from your home for more information
on all aspects of water. American Water
Works Association – www.awwa.org - an international
nonprofit scientific and educational society dedicated to the improvement of
drinking water quality and supply.
Water Environment Federation - www.wef.org - a not-for profit
technical and educational organization. Its goal is to preserve and enhance the
global water environment. Yarmouth
Water – www.yarmouthwater.org - your local water provider
with links to other water related sites and updated information on our
department activities.
Yarmouth Water is
proud to be a member of the following Associations. American Water Works Association (AWWA),
Massachusetts Water Works Association (MWWA), New England Water Works
Association (NEWWA), Plymouth County Water Works Association (PCWWA), and the
Barnstable County Water Utilities Association (BCWWA), North East Rural Water
Association (NERWA), Barnstable County Public Works Association (BCPWA).
Landlords, please forward to
your tenants. Additional copies are
available upon request.