This report is a snapshot of the drinking water quality that we provided last year. Included are details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to state and federal standards. We are committed to providing you with information because informed customers are our best allies.

I. PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM INFORMATION 

II.        YOUR DRINKING WATER SOURCE

Where Does My Drinking Water Come From?

Your water is provided by the following source listed below:

Is My Water Treated?

Our water system makes every effort to provide you with safe and pure drinking water. To improve the quality of the water delivered to you, we treat it to remove several contaminants.

·         We add a disinfectant to protect you against microbial contaminants.

·         We filter the water to remove small particles and organisms such as sediment, algae and bacteria.

·         We chemically treat the water to reduce lead and copper concentrations.

III.       SUBSTANCES FOUND IN TAP WATER

Sources of drinking water (both tap water 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 presence of animals or from human activity.  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 stormwater runoff, industrial, or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, and farming.

Pesticides and herbicides -which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater 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 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 Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health. All 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 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  (800-426-4791).  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 some 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 lowering the risk of infection by cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).

IV.       IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS

Maximum Contaminant Level (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.

Maximum Contaminant Level 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.

Treatment Technique (TT) – A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

Action Level (AL) – The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow.

90^th Percentile – Out of every 10 homes sampled, 9 were at or below this level.

V.         WATER QUALITY TESTING RESULTS

What Does This Data Represent?

The water quality information presented in the table(s) are from the most recent round of testing done in accordance with the regulations. All data shown was collected during the last calendar year unless otherwise noted in the table(s). 

In addition, 4 samples were taken at the elementary and high school.  All of these samples were well below the action level.  Due to the success of our corrosion control program DEP has approved a reduction in the total number and the frequency of lead and copper sampling.

We collect samples at five separate points in the distribution system to be tested for coliform monthly.

* Compliance with the Fecal Coliform/E.coli MCL is determined upon additional repeat testing.  

SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS:  The last time the reservoir was tested for these 50 contaminants there was no detection of any.

The following tables represent any contaminants that were detected out of the 75 that were tested for.

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▲The MCL for beta particles is 4 mrem/year. EPA considers 50 pCi/L to be the level of concern for beta particles.

Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining their occurrence in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted.  Of the 38 contaminants we tested for only sodium was detected.

VI.       COMPLIANCE WITH DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS

Does My Drinking Water Meet Current Health Standards?

We are committed to providing you with the best water quality available. We are proud to report that last year your drinking water met all applicable health standards regulated by the state and federal government.

VII.      EDUCATIONAL INFORMATON

Do I Need To Be Concerned About Certain Contaminants Detected In My Water?

Lead: 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 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 at 800.426.4791.

VIII.    HELPFUL INFORMATION

HOW TO READ A WATER METER

To read a typical water meter, simply read across the numbers in the box. The current reading for the sample meter below is 4076230 gallons. Some meters have only six digits instead of seven, but they are read exactly the same way. If the reading you had taken earlier was 4062110 you would have used 14,120 gallons.

The 0 on the far right is a fixed number and never changes.  Each number on the round dial represents one gallon, so from 0 to 1 is one gallon, 1 to 2 is one gallon, etc.  One complete turn of the read needle is 10 gallons. 

The small red triangle shaped piece on the dial is a low flow indicator that will rotate if there is any flow through the meter.  It is useful when checking for leaks.  To check for leaks, shut off all water flow in the house such as  faucets, washing machines, etc.  Watch the red triangle for at least 5 minutes.  If it moves then there is flow through the meter and you have water running somewhere.  Another way to check for leaks is to write down the numbers and the location of the dial indicator.  Do not use any water for 2 hours.  After the 2 hours read the water meter again.  If the dial has moved you have a leak and need to contact a plumber as soon as possible to avoid a high water bill.

These meters are called positive displacement meters.  The water entering the meter fills a known volume of the measuring chamber on one or the other side of a movable disc that separates the chamber into two sections.  As water enters it moves the disc (nutates), forcing a known volume of water out of the meter from the opposite side of the disc.  The process repeats as the sections refill and empty in turn.  The nutating action of the disc is coupled magnetically to the register to indicate the volume of water that passes through the meter.  The meter cannot register water unless it actually does go through the meter.

X.   THANK YOU!!!

Last fall the Water Department put a notice on the local access cable station asking residents to shovel out the fire hydrants near their house.  We would like to thank the people who are concerned with public safety and took the time to shovel out the hydrants.  A fire hydrant is a very important tool for the North Brookfield Fire Department, precious time can be lost if they have to find and shovel out a hydrant during a fire.  Thank you for your help.

 Please call our office if you have any questions.  Copies of this report are available upon request. An electronic version of this report (Microsoft Word document) is also available by mailing the webmaster.