Annual
Drinking Water Quality Report for the year ending 2005
If you have questions about this report call the Water Superintendent, Dan
Mills, at 508-771-7921
Further discussions to publicly discuss water quality issues can be held at
the Selectmans’ meetings.
Last
Year we conducted more than 1,000 tests on your drinking
water. These tests confirmed that your tap water meets all state and
federal drinking water quality standards. Yarmouth Water is committed to
providing
Within
the Town of
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
PS
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
Is
My Water Treated?
Yes,
the water is treated. However, only one treatment technique is utilized,
and that is for adjusting the pH of your water. This is accomplished by
adding Potassium Hydroxide to achieve a pH range of 7.5 to 7.8 in an effort to
make your water less corrosive.
Source
Water Protection Information
The
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has prepared a Source Water
Assessment Program (SWAP) Report for the water supply sources serving our
community. The SWAP Report assesses the susceptibility of public water
supplies. There are a number of land uses and activities that are potential
sources of contamination.
The
SWAP Report
notes the following key issues for our sources; inappropriate activities in
Zone I’s, residential land uses, hazardous materials, transportation
corridors, oil or hazardous material contamination sites, and comprehensive
wellhead protection planning.
What
can be done to improve protection?
Inspect the Zone I regularly, and endeavor to remove any non-water supply
activities; educate residents on ways they can help protect drinking water
sources; work with emergency response teams to ensure that they are aware of
the storm water drainage in the Zone II areas and to cooperate on responding
to spills or accidents; partner with local businesses to ensure the proper
storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous materials, and develop and
implement a Wellhead Protection Plan.
What
Is My System’s Ranking?
A
susceptibility ranking of “High” was assigned to our system using the
information collected during the assessment by the DEP.
Where
Can I See The SWAP Report?
The
complete SWAP report is available at the Water Division, and online at www.state.ma.us/dep/brp/dws/.
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).
The sources of drinking water (both tap 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 presences of animals or from human activity.
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).
Contaminants
that may be present in source water;
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. (systems that collect >=40 samples/mo) 5% of the monthly samples are positive.
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. MCLGs 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
community public water systems, to provide 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
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 |
||||||||||
Microbial
Contaminants
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
Contaminant |
Highest
% Positive in a month |
Total
# positive |
MCL |
MCLG |
Violation (Y/N) |
Date
of Sample |
Typical
Source of Contaminant |
|||
|
Total
Coliform |
18 |
11% |
<5% |
0 |
YES
** |
Weekly 2005 |
Naturally
present in the environment. |
|||
Inorganic
Contaminants
|
||||||||||
|
|
Date
Collected |
90th
percentile |
Action
Level |
MCLG |
#
of Sites Sampled |
#
of Sites above the |
Possible
source of contamination |
|||
|
Copper
(ppb) |
July
1, 2004 |
0.288 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
31 |
0 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits; Leaching
from wood preservatives. |
|||
|
Lead
(ppb) * |
July
1, 2004 |
2 |
15 |
0 |
31 |
0 |
Corrosion
of household plumbing systems; Erosion of natural deposits. |
|||
Contaminants
and/or VOC’s
|
||||||||||
|
|
Date
Collected
|
Highest
Detect Level
|
Range
Detected
|
Average
Detected
|
MCL
|
MCLG
|
Violation
(Y/N) |
|
||
|
Nitrate
(ppm) |
Second
quarter 2005
|
5.9
|
<.004
– 5.9
|
2.9
|
10
|
0
|
NO |
Runoff
from fertilizer use. Leaching from septic tanks, sewage; Erosion
of natural deposits.
|
||
|
Chloroform
(ppb) |
Second
quarter 2005 |
6 |
0-6 |
3 |
N/A |
Unregulated
contaminant |
NO |
Occurs
naturally here on |
||
|
Methyl
Tertiary Butyl Ether (ppb) |
Second
Quarter 2005 |
2 |
0-2 |
<1
|
N/A |
Unregulated
contaminant |
NO |
MTBE;
Fuel additive; leaks and spills from gasoline storage tanks |
||
|
Tetrachloroethylene
(ppb) |
Second
quarter 2005 |
2 |
0-2 |
<1 |
5 |
VOC 0 |
NO |
Discharge
from factories and dry cleaners |
||
|
Sodium
(ppm) |
Monthly 2005 |
38 |
5.2-38 |
21 |
N/A |
Unregulated
contaminant |
NO |
Sodium
can occur naturally and can also be attributed to road runoff. |
||
Radioactive
Contaminants
|
||||||||||
|
Radioactive
Contaminants |
Date(s)
Collected |
Highest
Detect |
Range
Detected |
Highest
Average |
MCL |
MCLG |
Violation (Y/N) |
Possible
Source of Contamination |
||
|
Gross
Alpha Activity (p/Ci/l) |
8/12/03 |
1.1 |
0-1.1 |
- |
15 |
0 |
NO |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
||
|
Radium
226 (p/Ci/l) |
8/12/03 |
0.5 |
0-0.5 |
- |
5 |
0 |
NO |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
||
|
Radium
228 (p/Ci/l) |
8/12/03 |
0.8 |
0-0.8 |
- |
5 |
0 |
NO |
Erosion
of natural deposits |
||
**In
July and November we exceeded the coliform bacteria drinking water standard.
Although this was not an emergency, we issued a public notice in the paper.
To eradicate the issue, we injected a disinfectant into the water storage
tanks that were affected. Additional testing proved this to be an effective
treatment. Health effects unknown.
*Lead
sampling was from consumers systems which may be affected 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 advice 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
Inadequately
treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms
include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as
nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.
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 is proud to be a member of the following Associations.
American Water Works Association (AWWA),
Landlords,
please forward to your tenants. Additional copies are available upon
request.