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2002
Drinking Water Quality Test Results
For our Metro Boston/MetroWest Customers
(en
español)
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Q:
How does MWRA protect my water?
A:
MDC rangers, in partnership with MWRA, patrol the Quabbin and
Wachusett Reservoirs and incoming streams within the watershed every
day. The water is tested daily for many parameters, and many more
are performed weekly and monthly.
Operators
monitor the water that comes to your community 24 hours a day, 365
days a year.
Also,
in response to any heightened alerts from the office of homeland
security, MWRA has taken extra security steps, including locking
down operational facilities, adding facility checks, increasing
water quality monitoring and many other security measures.
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Q:
How would I know about a problem with the water supply?
A:
MWRA
and your local water department keep close watch on the water supply.
The law requires that you be told if there is a problem with your
water. You would get the news by radio, television and newspapers,
from MWRA, your local health departments and the state Departments
of Public Health (DPH) and Environmental Protection (DEP).
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Q:
What can I do to reduce exposure to lead in drinking water?
A:
Be
careful of places you may find lead in or near your home. Paint,
soil, dust and some pottery may contain lead.
Run the tap until the water feels cold. Then fill a pitcher with
water and place in the refrigerator for future use.
Never
use hot water from the faucet for drinking or cooking especially
when making baby formula or other food for infants.
As
your local water department if there are lead service pipes leading
to your home.
Test
your tap water. Contact MWRA for more tops and a lit of certified
labs.
Call
the Department of Public Health at (617) 284-8400 if you have questions.
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Q:
My water is discolored or cloudy once in a while. Can I drink it?
A:
Water
is piped under pressure throughout the system. Sometimes air can
become trapped in the water, causing cloudiness. This is only temporary
and the water clears up in a short time.
Rust
from old iron pipes can cause red, brown or yellow water. Changes
in water speed or direction in your local pipes can cause rust to
be carried along.
This
can happen when the valves are being repaired, flushed or tested,
or fire hydrants are in use. Wait until the water is clear before
doing laundry to avoid staining clothes. You can safely drink, cook
with or bathe in this water.
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Q:
How does MWRA protect my water?
A:
MDC rangers, in partnership with MWRA, patrol the Quabbin and
Wachusett Reservoirs and incoming streams within the watershed
every day. The water is tested daily for many parameters and many
more tests are performed weekly and monthly. Operators monitor
the water that comes into your home 24 hours a day, 365 days a
year.
Also,
in response to any heightened alerts from the Department of Homeland
Security, MWRA has taken extra security steps, including locking
down operational facilities, adding facility checks, increasing
water quality monitoring and many other security measures.
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Facts
about Sodium |
Sodium
in water contributes only a small fraction of a person's overall
sodium intake (less than 10%).
MWRA
tests for sodium monthly and the highest level found was 28.9 mg/l
(about 7 mg per glass).
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A
letter from our Executive Director
June
1, 2003
Massachusetts
Water Resources Authority
Charlestown Navy Yard 100 First Avenue Boston, MA
02129
Dear
Customer,
I am pleased to send you this annual report on your drinking water
quality. This report is prepared with the help of your local water
and health department and it describes how we treat and deliver
the tap water that reaches your home. It also includes the test
results for 2002 - and the news is good. For example, in 2002, MWRA
met the federal Lead and Copper Rule for the first time.
I also want you to know that we are nearing completion of several
facilities designed to modernize our water system. The new water
tunnel, treatment plant and storage projects to improve system reliability
and security are the biggest advances in the regional water supply
in many decades. We have made great progress on these programs over
the last year and we will begin a two-year startup of the new water
system this fall. We will be working closely with local water departments
to ensure continuous operations as these new facilities are brought
on-line.
I hope you will take a few moments to read this important report.
MWRA has great confidence in the water we deliver to over 2 million
customers and we hope that this report will give you the same confidence.
Please contact us if you have any questions or comments about your
water quality, or any of MWRAs programs.
Sincerely,
Frederick A. Laskey
Executive Director
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Where
does your water come from?
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(click
map for a larger view)
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The MWRA supplies wholesale water to local water departments in 40 cities
and towns of greater Boston and MetroWest and three in Western Massachusetts.
This water comes from Quabbin Reservoir, about 65 miles west of Boston,
and Wachusett Reservoir, about 35 miles west of Boston. The reservoirs
provide about 250 million gallons of high quality water to consumers each
day. Water from the Ware River, located between these two reservoirs,
can also add to the supply at times.
Rain and snow falling on the watersheds
- protected land around the reservoirs - turn into streams that flow to
the reservoirs. Water comes in contact with soil, rock, plants, and other
material as it follows natures path to the reservoirs. While this
process helps clean the water, it can also dissolve and carry very small
amounts of material into the reservoir. Minerals from soil and rock, including
low levels of natural radioactive materials, do not usually cause problems
in the water. But water can also transport contaminants from human and
animal activity. These can include bacteria, viruses, pesticides, and
fertilizers - some of which can cause illness. The test results in this
report show that these are not a problem in the reservoirs' watersheds.
Quabbin and Wachusett watersheds are protected naturally, as over 85%
of the watersheds are covered in forest and wetlands. About 75% of the
total watershed land cannot be built on. The natural undeveloped watersheds
help to keep MWRA water clean and clear. Also to ensure safety, the streams
and the reservoirs are tested often and the watersheds patrolled daily
by the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC).
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Major Improvements Underway
MWRAs Integrated Water Supply
Improvement program is a 10-year, $1.7 billion series of projects
to protect watersheds, and build new water treatment and transmission
facilities. It is more than halfway complete and scheduled to be on-line
by 2004. Be on the lookout for more information on water system improvements
as new facilities come on-line over the next year and a half. The major
components are:
Walnut Hill Water Treatment Plant -
We are over 60% done with a new water treatment plant in Marlborough
that will begin operating in December 2004. It will consolidate all treatment
steps into one plant, and will use ozone rather than chlorine for primary
disinfection. Ozone provides stronger disinfection against pathogens,
such as Cryptosporidium, and will reduce levels of disinfection byproducts.
MetroWest Water Supply Tunnel -
We are 99% done with a 17-mile-long tunnel to connect the new treatment
plant at Walnut Hill to the greater Boston area. This will become the
main transmission line with the aging Hultman Aqueduct as the back-up.
The new tunnel is fully bored and lining is complete. The tunnel will
be put into service in Fall 2003.
Water Storage Tanks - We have been building covered storage
tanks to replace small open reservoirs near cities and towns. This lessens
the risk that contaminants will get into your tap water and is required
by the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) rules. Three
of these tanks in Stoneham, Ludlow, and Weston are now complete. Construction
of a fourth in Weston will be placed in service in Fall 2003 to replace
the Norumbega Reservoir in Weston.
Pipeline Rehabilitation - MWRA and local water departments are
working to replace, or clean and reline hundreds of miles of both MWRA
and locally owned older pipes.
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Water
Test Results
Before
treatment - Your water is tested each step of
the way from the reservoir to the tap. We test the water as it
leaves the reservoir to see how well our watershed protection is working.
Test results show few contaminants are found in the reservoir water. Those
few that are found are present in very small amounts, well below EPAs
standards.
Turbidity (or cloudiness of water) is one measure of overall water quality.
Wachusett Reservoir water is below both EPAs standard of 5.0 NTU
(Nephelometric Turbidity Units) and the stricter Massachusetts standard
of 1.0 NTU. Typical levels are 0.3 NTU and the highest level found at
Wachusett was 0.84 NTU.
MWRA also tests reservoir water for pathogens - such as fecal coliform
bacteria, viruses, and the parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia. They
can enter the water from animal or human waste. All test results were
well within state and federal standards. No Cryptosporidium or Giardia
was found in weekly samples of water at the intake.
After treatment - EPA and State regulations also require many water
quality tests after treatment to check the water you are drinking. MWRA
follows and even goes beyond these tests. We conduct thousands
of tests per year. This allows us to better monitor your water.
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Reservoir
Water Test Results After Treatment
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Compound
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Units
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(MCL)
- Highest Level Allowed
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(We
Found)
Detected Level
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Range
of Detection |
(MCLG)
Ideal Goal
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Is
the level in violation?
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How
It Gets in the Water
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Barium |
ppm
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2
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0.111
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0.007-0.011 |
2
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no
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Common
mineral in water
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Fluoride |
ppm
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4
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1.47
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0.79-1.47 |
4
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no
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Additive
for dental health
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Nitrate |
ppm
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10
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0.1
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0.14-0.1 |
10
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no
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Natural
deposits, stormwater/ fertilizer runoff
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Nitrite |
ppm
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1
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0.007
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0.007 |
1
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no
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Natural
deposits, stormwater/ fertilizer runoff
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Beta
Particles |
pCi/L
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50*
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0.86
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0.86 |
0
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no
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Erosion
of natural mineral deposits
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Combined
Radium
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pCi/L
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5
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2.2
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1.05-2.2 |
0
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no
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Erosion
of natural mineral deposits
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Total
Trihalomethanes |
ppb
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avg.=80
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avg.=57.2
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27.5-88.3 |
0
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no
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Byproducts
of water disinfection
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Halaocetic
Acids-5 |
ppb
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avg.=60
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avg.=28.4
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0.9-59.4 |
0
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no
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Byproducts
of water disinfection
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KEY:
MCL = Maximum Contaminant Level - the highest threshold of
contaminant allowed in water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs
as feasible using the best available technology.
MCLG = Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - The level of contaminant
in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk
to health. MCLGs allow for a margin of safety.
PPM = parts per million (about one drop in one 55-gallon
barrel of water).
ppb = parts per billion (about one drop in 1,000 barrels
of water).
pCi/L = picoCuries per liter. *(EPA considers 50 pCi/l to
be the level of concern for beta particles.
Avg. = average
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How
is our water treated?
MWRAs licensed operators treat water at a number of places in the
system. The first treatment step is the primary disinfection of reservoir
water. We carefully add measured doses of chlorine to the water to kill
any pathogens (germs) that may be present in the water.
Next, the water chemistry is adjusted to reduce corrosion of lead and
copper from home plumbing. Fluoride is then added to reduce cavities.
Last, we add chloramine, a mild and long lasting disinfectant combining
chlorine and ammonia, which protects the water while it is in the local
pipelines.
Tests in community pipes
MWRA
and local water departments work together to test water all the way to
the tap. We test 300 to 500 samples of water in the city and town systems
each week for total coliform bacteria. Total coliform bacteria can come
from the intestines of warm-blooded animals, and they also can be found
in soil, on plants, and other places. Most of the time, these bacteria
are not harmful to humans. However, their presence could signal that harmful
bacteria from fecal waste may be there as well. The EPA requires that
no more than 5% of the samples in a given month may be positive for total
coliform. If a water sample tests positive for total coliform, we run
more specific tests for E.coli, which is a pathogen found in human and
animal fecal waste that can cause illness.
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Community
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Highest
% of positive samples and month
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Violations
of EPA's 5% limit
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Boston |
0.37%
(July)
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No
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Framingham |
1.33%
(Aug., Sept.)
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No
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Norwood |
4.35%
(July)
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No
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Quincy |
1.05
(March)
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No
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Revere |
1.82%
(April, June)
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No
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Somerville |
2.33%
(September)
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No
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Southborough |
20%
(August)
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Yes*
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Weston |
8.7%
(July)
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Yes*
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MWRA
transmission line |
1.96%
(August)
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no
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*NOTE:
Only two of these communities exceeded the EPA standard. In 15
follow-up tests, no E.coli was found. For more information on total
coliform results and actions taken for Southborough and Weston, please
read their community letters. |
How did we do in 2002?
The table above reports test results from 30 communities that receive
all of their water from MWRA. Total coliform were found in 8 communities.
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New
EPA Regulations
MWRA has been working with EPA and other researchers to define new national
drinking water rules by testing for compounds which are not regulated.
Our results will be used with those of other water suppliers to help EPA
set regulations for these compounds if they are necessary. MWRA is also
participating with Tufts University on a nationally-funded study on Cryptosporidium.
Ongoing
Research for New Regulations
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Test
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Measurement
Units
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1998-1999
Results
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Chloropicrin |
PPM
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0.0007
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Chloral
Hydrate |
PPM
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0.0017
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Cyanogen
Chloride |
PPM
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0.001
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Halocetonitriles |
PPM
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0.0012
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Haloketones |
PPM
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0.0016
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Total
Organic Halides |
mg
Cl/l
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0.21
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Viruses |
MPN/L
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Cryptosporidium |
cysts
per 100L
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0.02*
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PPM
= parts per million
mg Cl/l = milligrams of chloride per liter
MPN/L = most probable number per liter
* results from 2002
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Lead
in tap water
MWRA water is lead-free when it leaves the reservoirs.
MWRA and local pipes that carry the water to your community are made mostly
of iron and steel, and do not add lead to water. However, lead can get
into tap water through pipes in the home, lead solder used in plumbing,
and some brass fixtures. Corrosion or wearing away of lead-based materials
can add lead to tap water, especially if water sits for a long time in
the pipes before use.
Under EPA rules, each year MWRA and your local water department must test
tap water in a sample of homes that are likely to have high lead levels.
These are usually homes with lead service lines or lead solder. The EPA
rule requires that 9 out of 10, or 90%, of the sampled homes must have
lead levels below the Action Level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
Good news on lead - In 1996, MWRA began to treat the water to make
it less likely that lead would enter tap water from pipes. Since then,
the effort to help control lead corrosion has continued, and now MWRA
meets the Lead and Copper Rule. Lead levels in sampled worst case homes
have steadily dropped since 1992. Results for September 2002 are shown
in the table, with an overall test score of 91.9%, now meeting the standard
of 90%. Nine of ten houses were below 11.3 ppb, which is below the Action
Level of 15 ppb. MWRA once again met the Copper Action Level.
Important
Lead Information from EPA
Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable
to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible
that lead levels at your home may be higher than those 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 and flush your tap for 30 seconds
to 2 minutes before using tap water. Additional information is available
from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline: (800) 426-4791.
Lead
and Copper Results for 2002
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Range
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90%
Value
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(Target)
Action Level
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(Ideal
Goal)
MCLG
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#
homes that failed AL / # homes tested
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LEAD |
0
- 62 ppb
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11.3
ppb |
15
ppb
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0
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33/407
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COPPER |
0
- 1.1 PPM
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0.12
PPM |
1.3
PPM
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0
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0/407
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Action
Level (AL) = The concentration
of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum
Contaminant Goal (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.
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Important
information from EPA and DEP about...
Contaminants
in Bottled Water and Tap Water - Drinking water, including bottled
water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of
some contamination. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily
indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants
and potential health effects can be obtained by calling EPAs Safe
Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, Massachusetts 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 regulations establish
limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection
for public health.
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Drinking Water and People with Weakened Immune Systems -Some people
may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than is 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 disorder, 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 (1-800-426-4791).
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Notice on Norumbega Reservoir - Until the new covered storage tank
is completed, the Massachusetts DEP requires that MWRA publish the following
notice: 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.
The new tank will come on-line in two steps in Fall 2003 and Spring 2004.
Click here for more information.
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Where
to Go for Further Information
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Health
Issues
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Massachusetts
Department of Public Health (DPH) |
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Tel.:
(617) 624-6000
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US
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) |
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Tel.: (800)
311-3435
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List
of State Certified Water Quality Testing Labs |
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Tel.: (617)
242-5323
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Water
System and Regulations
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Massachusetts
Water Resources Authority (MWRA) |
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Tel.: (617)
242-5323
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Massachusetts
Department of Environmental Protection |
www.mass.gov/dep |
Tel.: (617)
292-5500
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Metropolitan
District Commission |
www.mass.gov/mdc/water.htm |
Tel.:
(617) 242-5323
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Source
Water Assessment and Protection Report |
www.mwra.com/sourcewater.htm |
Tel.: (617)
242-5323
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Public
Meetings
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MWRA
Board of Directors |
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Tel.: (617)
788-1117
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MWRA
Advisory Board |
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Tel.: (617)
742-7561
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Water
Supply Citizens Advisory Committee |
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Tel.: (413)
586-8861
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Click
here for MWRA's monthly water quality report. |
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Your
Community Test Results
In
the list below, click on your city or town for a message from your local
water service provider. If you live in a partially-supplied community
- marked with an asterisk (*), your city or town's results may differ
from MWRA's. Your community's test results will be included in your community's
letter.
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Medford
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Watertown
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(Please
note: Peabody, Wellesley and Stoughton are partially-supplied communities.
Their reports will be linked to this site as soon as possbile. |
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Chicopee
Valley Aqueduct System Communities (Chicopee, South Hadley
FD#1 and Wilbraham), click
here for your full report |
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Additional
Versions of this Report are Available
If
you would like to request a Spanish-language version of this report,
click here.
For
a large-type version of this report, please email your request
to Joshua Das, Project Manager, Public Health: JoshuaDas@mwra.state.ma.us
Share
Your Thoughts
Your comments on last year's report helped
us to improve it. To reduce costs, we've shortened the report this year,
with each copy costing only 25 cents to print and mail. Give us a call,
send us a letter or email, and let us know what you think.
Massachusetts
Water Resources Authority
100 First Avenue
Boston, MA 02129
attn: Joshua Das, Project Manager - Public Health
email:
JoshuaDas@mwra.state.ma.us
MWRA Water Quality Hotline: (617)
242-5323
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