Editor's Note: The following notification of violation of a public drinking water standard was mailed Friday by the Milford Water Company to its customers.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Este relatorio contem a informacao importante sobre sua agua bedendo. Tenha-‐o-‐por favor tradurido por um amigo ou por alguem que o compreende e o pode o traduzir para voce.
To all customers of the Milford Water Company (MWC) located in Milford, Massachusetts
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are Above Drinking Water Standards
This notice is to advise our customers that our water system is in noncompliance with the drinking water standards for Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs). Similar notices were issued to you in January, April and July of this year for this ongoing violation.
Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do and what we are doing to correct this situation.
We are required to monitor the drinking water for TTHMs on a quarterly basis (once every three months). The results of last quarter's sampling were received on September 30, 2011 and show that our system exceeds the standard or maximum contaminant level (MCL) for TTHMs. The standard for TTHMs is 80 parts per billion (ppb) and is determined on a quarterly basis by averaging all samples collected by our system for the last 12 months.
The average level of TTHMs between October 2010 and September 2011 was 91 ppb.
What does this mean? This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified right away. However, pregnant women, infants, and women of childbearing age may be at increased risk and should seek advice from their health care providers if they have any concerns.
Some people who drink water containing (TTHMs) trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous system, and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
What happened? What is being done? TTHMs are a byproduct of chlorine disinfection which forms when chlorine combines with natural organic matter commonly found in surface water supplies. TTHMs levels can vary depending on a number of factors, including the amount of chlorine used, amount of organic plant material in water sources, temperature and seasons. The MWC is working to reduce the TTHM levels while also maintaining appropriate levels of disinfectant in the water necessary to avoid bacterial issues.
MWC is actively working on installing an activated carbon layer into some of its filter beds as an immediate short-term measure and is working on designing a new treatment plant as a long-term solution with the intention of correcting this issue. MWC is also blending its sources to reduce organic levels, increasing its monitoring of TTHMs and conducting flushing of the waterlines to reduce TTHM levels in the distribution system.
MWC has done some research and has found that some activated carbon type filters can help remove or lower chlorine and TTHM levels. For more information on filters please refer to U.S. EPA Filter Facts at http://water.epa.gov/aboutow/ogwdw/upload/2005_11_17_faq_fs_healthseries_filtration.pdf.
A question and answer document on health effects, precautions and water treatment options for TTHMs has been provided by the MassDEP and is available on the MWC website. You can also contact the US EPA Safe Drinking Water Hot LIne at 1-800‐426‐4791.
For more information please visit the company website at www.milfordwater.com or contact David L. Condrey, General Manager, at 508-473-5110 or Milford Water Company, 66 Dilla Street, Milford, MA, 01757.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses.)
You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by Milford Water Company.
Date Distributed: 10/18/2011
