Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2005
Passamaquoddy Water District
We’re pleased to present to you our Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. This report, a requirement of the 1996 amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act, is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we deliver to you every day. Our constant goal is to provide you with a safe and dependable supply of drinking water. We want you to understand the efforts we make to continually improve the water treatment process and protect our water resources. We are committed to ensuring the quality of your water.
WATER SOURCE
Our water is drawn from the Boyden Lake Stream in Perry. It is filtered and then treated with chlorine to protect against potential bacteriological contaminants and fluoride to promote dental health. We serve an approximate population of 1920 through 768 services connections.
SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT
The sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, ponds, and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from human and animal activity. The Maine Drinking Water Program (DWP) has evaluated all public water supplies as part of the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP). The assessments included geology, hydrology, land uses, water testing information and the extent of land ownership or protection by local ordinance to see how likely our drinking water source is to being contaminated by human activities in the future. Assessment results are available at public water suppliers, town offices, and the DWP. For more information about the SWAP, please contact the DWP at telephone
287-2070.
If you have any questions about this report or concerning you water utility, please contact Nancy Seeley, Manager, at telephone number 853-2924, fax 853-2783, or at mailing address 56 Water Street, Eastport, Maine 04631. We want our valued customers to be informed about their water utility. If you want to learn more, please attend any of our regularly scheduled board meetings. They are held at the District Office on Water Street. Meetings are held as scheduled and published each month. Agenda are posted regularly at the Eastport City Hall, the water district, and the tribal office in Pleasant Point.
WATER QUALITY
Passamaquoddy Water District routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to Federal and State laws. The following table shows any detection resulting from our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31, 2005. *
In 2005, due to efforts to protect the water supply, we applied for and were granted a three-year waiver for synthetic organics (Phase II/V) testing. This is an exemption from the testing/monitoring requirements for pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other industrial chemicals; the state of Maine Drinking Water Program grants a waiver only upon a finding that ”it will not result in an unreasonable risk to health.”
We have learned through our monitoring and testing that some constituents have been detected. The EPA has determined that your water IS SAFE at these levels
* If no tests were required for a given contaminant in 2005, the law requires that the most recent test results be included here. No test results over 5 years old are allowed, however:
Some or all of the following contaminants were tested for as regulated by law. Other elements are also tested for which do not require reporting, as they do not pose a potential health risk.
Microbiological Contaminants
1. Total Coliform Bacteria
2. Fecal Coliform and E>Coli
3. Turbidity
4. Radioactive Contaminants
5. Beta/photon emitters
6. Gross Alpha
7. Combined radium
6a. Uranium
6b. Radon
Inorganic Comtaminants
8. Amtimony
9. Arsenic
10. Asbestos
11. Barium
12. Beryllium
13. Cadmium
14. Chromuim
15. Copper
16. Cyanide
17. Fluoride
18. Lead
19. Mercury (inorganic)
20. Nitrite (as Nitrogen)
21. Nitrite (as Nitrogen)
22. Selenium
23. Thallium
Synthetic Organic
Contaminants including
Pesticides and Herbicides
24. 2.4-D
25. 2,3,4-TP (Silvex)
26. Acrylamide
27. Alachlor
28. Atrazine
29. Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH)
30. Carbofuran
31. Chlordane
32. Dalapon
33. Di(2-ethyhexy) adipate
34. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate
35. Dibromochloroprpane
36. Dinoseb
37. Diquat
38. Dioxin {2,3,7,8-TCDD}
39. Endothall
39. Endrin
40. Epichlorohydrin
41. Ethylene dibromide
42. Glyphosate
43. Heptachlor
44. Heptachlor epoxide
45. Heptachorobenzene
46. Hexachlorocyclo-pentadiene
47. Lindane
48. Methoxychlor
49. Oxamyl {Vydate}
50. PCBs {Polychlorinated biphenyls}
51. Pentachlorophenol
52. Picloram
53. Smazine
54. Toxaphene
Volatile Organic Contaminants
55. Benzene
56. Carbon tetrachloride
57. Chlorobenzene
58. o-Dichlorobenzene
59. p-Dichlorobenzene
60. 1,2 - Dichloroethylene
61. 1,1 - Dichloroethylene
62. cis-1,2 - Dichloroethylene
63. trans – 1,2 - Dichloroethylene
64. Dichloromethane
65. 1,2-Dichloropropane
66. Ethylbenzene
66a. Methyl-Tertiary-Butyl_Ether
(MTBE) (Maine MCL)
67. Styrene
68. Tetrachloroethylene
69. 1,2,4 - Trichlorobenzene
70. 1,1,1 - Trichloroethane
71. 1,1,2 - Trichloroethane
72. Trichloroethylene
73. TTHM {Total trihalomethanes}
74. a. HAA5 {Total Haloacetic Acids)
75. Toluene
76. Vinyl Chloride
77. Xylenes
TEST RESULTS
Unless otherwise noted, testing was done in 2005
Contaminant
Microbiological Contaminants
Total Coli form Bacteria
No Violation
Level Detected: 0 positive
Unit Measurement: N/A
MCLG: 0 positive
MICL: 1 positive
Likely Source of Contamination:
Naturally present in the environment
Turbidity (10/11/05)
Violation N
Level Detected 0.40
Unit Measurement Ntu
MCLG n/a
MCL TT
Likely Source of Contamination Soil Runoff
Radioactive Contaminants
Gross Alpha (6/18/02)
No Violation
Level Detected 0.1
Unit Measurement; PCi/L
MCLG: 0
MCL: 15
Likely Source of Contamination:
Naturally occurring radioactivity in bedrock
Inorganic Contaminants
Barium (10/11/2005)
Violation N
Level Detected: 0.007
Unit Measurement: ppm
MCLG: 2
MCL: 2
Likely Sources of Contamination:
Erosion of natural deposits
Chromium
Violation N
Level Detected 0.7
Unit Measurement ppb
MCLG 100
MCL 100
Discharge from steel and pulp mills; erosion of natural deposits
Copper (12/31/02)
Violation: No
Level Detected: 0.13
Unit Measurement: ppm
MCLG: 1.3
MCL: AL=1.3
Likely Source of Contamination:
Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Fluoride (8/22/05)
Violation: N
Level Detected: 1.63
Unit Measurement: ppm
MCLG: 4
MCL: 4
Likely Source of Contamination:
Additive to promote dental health.
Lead (12/31/05)
Violation: N
Level Detected: 1.0
Unit Measurement: ppb
MCLG: 0
MCL: AL=15
Likely Source of Contamination:
Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Contaminant
Nitrate (as Nitrogen) (10/11/05)
Violation N
Level detected 0.11
Unit Measurement ppm
MCLG 10
MCL 10
Like Source of Contamination:
Runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks, sewage, erosion of natural deposits
Volatile Organic Contaminants
TTHM (Total Trihalomethanes)
Violation: N
Level Detected: RAA=57.675
Unit Measurement: ppb
MCLG: 0
MCL: 80
Likely Source of Contamination:
By-product of drinking water chlorination
HAAS (Total Haloacretic Acids)
Violation: N
Level Detected: RAA=46.00
Unit Measurement: ppb
MCLG: 0
MCL: 60
Likely Source of Contamination:
By-product of drinking eater chlorination.
Definitions
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) is 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) is 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.
Variances, Exceptions, and Waivers – State or EPA permission not to met an MCL, a treatment technique or test for a given contaminant under certain conditions.
Treatment Technique (TT) – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water (e.g. treatment technique for turbidity).
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) – nephelometric turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable in the average person.
Running Annual Average (RAA): The average of all monthly or quarterly samples for the last year at all sample locations.
N/A - not applicable
Units:
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/L) – One part per million corresponds to one minute in two years or a single penny in $10,000,000.
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) – A measure of the radioactivity in water.
Notes:
Total Coli form Bacteria: Reported as the highest monthly number of positive samples for water systems that take < 40 samples per month. For water systems that take > 40 samples per month, no more than 5% of the samples may be positive.
Gross Alpha: Action level over 5 pCi/L requires testing for Radium. Action level over 15 pCi?L requires testing for Radon and Uranium.
Lead/Copper: Action levels are measured at consumer’s tap. 90% of the tests must be equal to or below the action level.
IMFORTANT Information
Current Developments:
The Passamaquoddy Water District is continuing its efforts to improve the quality of the water it delivers to its customers. As you can see by the table, our system had no violations in 2005: We are proud that your drinking water exceeds all Federal and State requirements.
The district built a garage on Drummond Road on property leased from the City of Eastport. A Water Supply System Vulnerability Assessment was conducted on the Passamaquoddy Water District in 2005. Repairs to the Fish way at the Water Treatment Plant were done with funds made available from the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point.
Nancy Seeley accepted the position of Manager/Superintendent of the district and Howard Johnson accepted the position of Chief Plant Operator/Head of Maintenance of the district.
We are in the process of putting together a project that will replace 15,300 feet of deteriorated mains. The estimated cost of this project it $2,207,750. However, we expect to receive a community development block grant in the amount of $232,750, a loan with the SRF program in the amount of $1,975,000 with $1,425,000 forgiven; leaving us a loan amount of $550,000 for a term of 30 years at 0%.
We are also involved with the City of Eastport in a “Downtown” project to replace the 100+ year old main on Water Street. We will receive a $300,000 grant and $100,000 lean from Rural Development for this project.
All Sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by constituents that are naturally occurring or are man made. Those constituents can be microbes, organics or inorganic chemicals, or radioactive materials. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presents of contaminated does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. 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 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 storm water runoff, 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 runoff and septic systems. More information about contaminants and potential health effects
can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible effects described for many regulated constituents, a person would have to drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level for a lifetime to have a one-in-ten thousand chance of having the described health effects.
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 Sate Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
We, at Passamaquoddy Water District, work around the clock to provide top quality water to every tap. We ask that all our customers help us protect our water sources, which are the heart of our community, our way of life, and our children’s future. Please contact us with any questions.
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