Plainfield Water Quality Report 2022

[Page 1] Plainfield System Dear Valued Customer: At Connecticut Water we know that water touches everything we care about. The most important thing we do each day is to provide clean, high-quality drinking water that you can trust. Our team of over 200 dedicated, trained professionals works to make sure you have reliable water service at your tap 365 days a year. Our 2022 Annual Water Quality Report includes the results of more than 170,000 water samples (about 400 tests a day), which were tested at state certified laboratories for over 120 water quality parameters. The data from these tests is regularly reviewed for changes or trends, and any customer water quality complaint is escalated for review by our water quality team. We are pleased to report that the water quality results in your system meet all state and federal drinking water standards. Within these pages are details about your drinking water: where it comes from, what is done to protect and treat it, and the results of our water quality tests. Turning on a reliable supply of high-quality water at the tap is as easy as turning the faucet handle, easy for you – that is. What customers don’t see is the commitment of our licensed and certified water professionals who oversee the water from the source to the tap. We invest in our people so they can serve customers. They monitor our sources of supply, operate our treatment facilities, test water quality, and maintain our water systems. We also invested more than $60 million in drinking water infrastructure in 2022. Passionate employees and modern water systems are critical in delivering high-quality drinking water. At about a penny a gallon, we think tap water from Connecticut Water is a good value. We are also committed to the stewardship of water resources: we believe it is important to protect our water sources, land and the environment for current and future generations. Some of the ways we do that are: - A comprehensive source-protection program including annual watershed inspections and clean-ups - Ownership of over 6,000 acres of land maintained and protected as open space - Active involvement by our team with local officials, reviewing and commenting on land development proposals or activities that could affect water quality at our sources of supply Delivering high-quality drinking water to you is our highest priority. If you have any questions or comments about your drinking water or this report, please call our Customer Service staff at 1-800-286-5700 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Sincerely, Craig J. Patla President, Connecticut Water Page 1 [Page 2] 2022 Water Quality Report – Plainfield Water System Public Water System ID# CT1090081 Connecticut Water is pleased to present a summary of the quality of the water provided to you during the past year. This report meets the requirements of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, to report annually the details of where your water comes from, what it contains, and the risks that our water testing and treatment are designed to prevent. Federal law allows water providers to make the annual water quality reports available online. Paper copies can be mailed to customers upon request. We will notify customers through, bill inserts, news releases, our website and social media any time a new water quality report has been posted to our website. If you have any questions about this report, please call us at 1-800-286-5700 or e-mail [email protected]. Water Source: The Plainfield System serves Connecticut Water Company customers in the town of Plainfield. Water for the Plainfield System comes from groundwater wells. Sources of tap water and bottled water include reservoirs, ponds, wells, and springs. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it can dissolve naturally occurring minerals and in some cases, radioactive material, and pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity, including: - Viruses and bacteria, which may come from septic systems, livestock, or wildlife. - Salts and metals, which can be natural or may result from storm water runoff and farming. - Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban storm water runoff, or farming. - Organic chemicals, which originate from industrial processes, gas stations, storm runoff, and septic systems. - Radioactive substances, which can be naturally occurring. To ensure safe tap water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes limits on these substances in water provided by public water systems. Page 2 [Page 3] Source Water Assessment The Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) program determines how susceptible public water supplies are to potential contamination by microbial and/or chemical contaminates. The susceptibility ranking is assigned using information collected by the Department of Public Health (DPH) in 2003. The below table summarizes the SWAP assessments for the system. These assessments are not an indication of water quality from our water sources. Complete SWAP reports can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/cwc-swapreport Overall Town Water Supply Source Type Susceptibility Plainfield Plainfield Wellfield Groundwater Low Page 3 [Page 4] Protecting Water Sources Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes, or underground aquifers that is used to supply public drinking water. Preventing drinking water contamination at the source makes good public health sense, good economic sense, and good environmental sense. Most contaminates enter rivers, lakes and reservoirs from storm water runoff of streets, parking lots, golf courses, athletic fields, construction sites, farms and residential neighborhoods. You can be aware of the challenges of keeping drinking water safe and take an active role in protecting drinking water. There are lots of ways that you can get involved in drinking water protection activities to prevent the contamination of the ground water source: • Restrict the use of lawn chemicals, especially before heavy rains. • Dispose of pet or animal waste properly so that it does not wash into a nearby stream or storm drain. • Inspect septic tanks every two years, and clean as needed. Make septic system repairs as soon as possible. • Do not pour used motor oil on the ground or into storm drains. Contact your town for proper disposal of household chemicals. • Report muddy runoff from construction sites to your town’s zoning or wetland officials. Connecticut Water staff works closely with developers, local land use agencies and state agencies to minimize potential impacts from proposed land use activities within our source water protection areas. We also work with local and state officials to correct new or existing violations in our source water protection areas, as necessary. Connecticut Water regularly inspects more than 5,600 properties within our public water supply watershed areas throughout the state. Our watershed inspectors protect your drinking water by inspecting properties and ensuring they meet the regulations set by the Connecticut DPH. They look for and report conditions such as failing septic systems, wastewater discharge, improper livestock manure management, soil erosion and sedimentation, leaking heating oil tanks, improper usage and storage of chemicals, road salt, pesticides and fertilizers, illegal dumping, or any other factors that could affect water quality. Page 4 [Page 5] Educational Information on Lead & Copper We believe it is important to provide you with information about the sources of lead and copper in drinking water and the health effects associated with them. What is Lead? Major Sources in Drinking Water: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits. Health Effects Statement: Infants and children who drink water containing lead in excess of the action level could experience delays in their physical or mental development. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. 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. Connecticut Water Company is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components in your home where they could potentially result in lead in your drinking water. If you are concerned about the potential for lead in your drinking water from in-home plumbing and fixtures, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. This is important especially in cases where you may not have used your water over a period of several hours and it’s been sitting in the pipes. You may also wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and- drinking-water/safe-drinking-water-hotline) or www.epa.gov/safewater/lead Where needed, we have a comprehensive corrosion control program, to reduce risk of lead leaching from our customers’ service line or internal plumbing. This includes pH monitoring and adjustment. And, we fully comply with EPA requirements regarding sampling for lead in drinking water . We provide documentation to the Connecticut Department of Public Health to demonstrate our results. What is Copper? Major Sources in Drinking Water: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives Health Effects Statement: Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could, suffer liver or kidney damage. People with Wilson’s Disease should consult their personal doctor. If you are concerned about elevated lead or copper levels, you may wish to have your water tested. Running your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before use will significantly reduce the levels of lead and copper in the water. Additional information is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline website https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/safe-drinking-water-hotline. For information on the levels of lead and copper detected in your drinking water system, please refer to the table in this water quality report. Special Considerations: 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/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (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 website https://www.epa.gov/groundwater-and-drinking-water/safe-drinking-water-hotline. Page 5 [Page 6] Water Quality Data – Plainfield Water System The results of the tests conducted on water samples throughout the distribution system for regulated compounds are summarized in the table below. The Safe Drinking Water Act 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, though representative, are more than one year old. If levels were tested prior to 2022, the year is identified in the sample year column. The presence of contaminants in the water does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. The “Range of Detection” column represents the lowest and highest concentration detected throughout the monitoring period. DISINFECTANT RESIDUAL Range of Met Drinking Detection Sample Water Analyte Unit MRDL MRDLG Low High Year Standards Typical Source Water additive used to Chlorine ppm 4 4 0.28 1.18 2021 Yes control microbes INORGANIC CHEMICALS Range of Met Drinking Detection Sample Water Analyte Unit MCL MCLG Low High Year Standards Typical Source Erosion of natural Barium ppm 2 2 0.018 0.018 2018 Yes deposits Erosion of natural Chloride ppm 250 NA 41.1 41.1 2018 Yes deposits Nitrate ppm 10 10 0.631 0.631 2021 Yes Runoff from fertilizer Erosion of natural Sodium ppm NL = >100 NA 30.4 30.4 2018 Yes deposits Erosion of natural Sulfate ppm NA 250 6.2 6.2 2018 Yes deposits Nitrate: Connecticut Water Company's Plainfield System is in compliance with the EPA’s standard of less than 10 ppm for nitrate in drinking water. However, you should know that a nitrate level in drinking water above 10 ppm is a health risk for infants 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 may want to ask for advice from your health care provider. RADIONUCLIDES Range of Met Drinking Detection Sample Water Analyte Unit MCL MCLG Low High Year Standards Typical Source Erosion of natural Alpha Emitters pCi/L 15 0 4.55 4.55 2018 Yes deposits Erosion of natural Radon pCi/L NA NA 1,090 1,090 2021 Yes deposits Page 6 [Page 7] What is Radon: There is currently no federal drinking water standard for radon and it is not clear whether radon that is ingested (i.e. taken through the mouth) contributes to cancer or other adverse health conditions. EPA is considering a standard of no more than 4,000 pCi/L in water, though the final EPA standard may be different. As more information becomes available, Connecticut Water will take appropriate measures as may be necessary. Radon is a colorless, tasteless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that may be present in rock, soil, groundwater and air. Radon can move up through the ground and into a home through cracks and holes in the foundation. Radon can enter homes from tap water during showering, washing dishes, and other household activities. Compared to radon entering the home through soil, radon entering the home through tap water will, in most cases, be a very small portion of the total radon in indoor air. Approximately only 1 part in 10,000 of radon in water will move into the air through these normal household activities. If you are concerned about radon in your home, you may wish to test the air. Testing is inexpensive and easy. For additional information, call DPH at 860-509-7299 or EPA’s Radon Hotline at 1-800-SOS-RADON. MICROBIOLOGICAL Detected in Met Drinking Water Sample Water Analyte MCL MCLG System Year Standards Typical Source Total Coliforms >1 ** Absent 2021 Yes Naturally present in E. coli See below † 0 Absent 2021 Yes environment Turbidity TT >5 NTU 0 ND 0.32 2021 Yes Soil runoff ** Total Coliform This report reflects compliance with the Revised Total Coliform Rule (RTCR) issued April 1, 2016. The RTCR requires water systems to continue to monitor for coliform contamination, and replaced the monthly MCL for total coliform with a TT for total coliform. The TT dictates that when coliform contamination exceeds a specified frequency, water systems must conduct an assessment of the system to identify and correct any potential routes of contamination in order to remain in compliance with Drinking Water Standards. † E. coli Any routine sample that shows the presence of total coliform triggers repeat samples that must be analyzed for total coliform and E. coli. If E. coli is found in any repeat sample, the system is considered to be in violation of the MCL. Turbidity Turbidity has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. LEAD AND COPPER Range of 90th Met Drinking Detection %ile Sample Water Analyte Unit MCL MCLG Low High value Year Standards Typical Source 2021 Yes Corrosion of household Lead ppb AL = 15 0 ND 17 2 (1 of 56 samples > AL) plumbing systems Corrosion of household Copper ppm AL = 1.3 1.3 0.02 0.97 0.619 2021 Yes plumbing systems Educational Information about Lead and Copper: Page 7 [Page 8] Connecticut Water believes it is important to provide you with information about the sources of lead and copper in drinking water and the health effects associated with them. The primary source of lead and copper in tap water is household plumbing, and plumbing can vary from house to house within the same neighborhood. For information on the levels of lead and copper detected in your drinking water system, please refer to the table above. What is lead: Major sources of lead in drinking water are corrosion of household plumbing systems and erosion of natural deposits. Health Effects: 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 water containing lead in excess of the action level over many years could develop kidney problems or high blood pressure. What is copper: Major sources of copper in drinking water are corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits, and leaching from wood preservatives. Health Effects: Copper is an essential nutrient, but some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over a relatively short amount of time could experience gastrointestinal distress. Some people who drink water containing copper in excess of the action level over many years could suffer liver or kidney damage. Anyone with Wilson's Disease should consult their personal doctor. If you are concerned about elevated lead or copper levels, you may wish to have your water tested. Running your tap for 30 seconds to two minutes before use will significantly reduce the levels of lead and copper in the water. Additional information is available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water- and-drinking-water/safe-drinking-water-hotline. DISINFECTION BYPRODUCTS Range of Met Drinking Detection Sample Water Analyte Unit MCL MCLG Low High LRAA Year Standards Typical Source Total By-product of drinking Trihalomethanes ppb 80 NA 4.6 4.6 4.6 2021 Yes water disinfection Haloacetic By-product of drinking Acids ppb 60 NA 1.8 1.8 1.8 2021 Yes water disinfection PFAS PFAS is an abbreviated term for per -and polyfluoroalkyl substances. At this time, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and regulators in Connecticut are working to determine appropriate standards for these chemicals in drinking water. As an interim step, EPA has established a Health Advisory limit of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) for PFAS chemicals in drinking water. There is nothing that you need to do at this time. Your drinking water continues to meet or exceed all federal and state regulatory standards. Contaminant Range PFOA (ppt) ND PFOS (ppt) ND PFNA (ppt) ND PFHxS (ppt) ND PFHpA (ppt) ND PFBS (ppt) ND Page 8 [Page 9] TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AL = Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow. LRAA = Locational Running Annual Average: The average of sample analytical results for samples taken at a particular monitoring location during the previous 4 calendar quarters. The LRAA is used for direct comparison to the MCL. MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level: 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. MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal: 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. MRDL = Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants. MRDLG = Maximum residual disinfectant Level Goal: 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 contamination. NA = Not Applicable ND = Not Detected NL = Notification Level: There is no MCL for sodium. However, the Connecticut Department of Public Health requires that customers be notified if sodium levels exceed 100 ppm. NTU = Nephelometric Turbidity Unit: A measure of water clarity. ppm = parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L) ppb = parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (µg/L) pCi/L = picocuries per liter (a measure of radioactivity) TT = Treatment Technique: A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. 90th %ile = 90th percentile value: The calculated value that is equal to or greater than 90 percent of the individual sample concentrations for the water system. The 90th percentile value is used for direct comparison to the AL. Special Considerations: Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised