Annual Drinking Water Quality Report for 2011
Town of Emmitsburg
PWSID 0100010
We're pleased to present to you this year's Annual
Quality Water Report. This report 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. Our water sources are five wells and Rainbow
Lake. We are currently using 168,000 gallons per day
from our surface water supply. The well usage varies
with demand, which averaged around 251,000 gallons
per day. The surface water is mixed with wells #3,
#4, and #5, and processed through the filtration
plant. We also have wells #1 and #2, which go into
the filtration plant and are disinfected and PH
adjusted just prior to entering the storage tanks.
We also are connected to Mount St. Mary's using
approximately 11,000 gallons per day. This line is
primarily for a back up for fire protection.
We have a source water protection plan available
from our office that provides more information such
as potential sources of contamination. This report
shows our water quality and what it means.
The Town of Emmitsburg routinely monitors for
contaminants in your drinking water according to
Federal and State laws. This table shows the results
of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to
December 31st, 2011. As water travels over the land
or underground, it can pick up substances or
contaminants such as microbes, inorganic and organic
chemicals, and radioactive substances. All drinking
water, including bottled drinking water, may be
reasonably expected to contain at least small
amounts of some contaminants. It's important to
remember that the presence of these contaminants
does not necessarily pose a health risk.
In this table you will find many terms and
abbreviations you might not be familiar with. To
help you better understand these terms we've
provided the following definitions:
" 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.
" Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter -
one part per billion corresponds to one minute in
2,000 years, or a single penny in $10,000,000.
" Picocuries per liter (pCi/L) - picocuries per
liter is a measure of the radioactivity in water.
" Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) - nephelometric
turbidity unit is a measure of the clarity of water.
Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to
the average person.
" Action Level - the concentration of a contaminant
which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum Contamination level(MCL)- A contaminants
level set by the STATE or EPA Maximum contamination
level goal(MCLG)- The level set by the STATE or EPA
for future limits. .![](CCR%202011.jpg)
The Town had one reporting violation
during this period for the certification of this
document. The CCR Certification letter was not
received by MDE By October 1,2011.
Microbiological Contaminants:
(1) Total Coliform. Coliforms are bacteria that are
naturally present in the environment and are used as
an indicator that other, potentially harmful,
bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in
more samples than /allowed and this was a warning of
potential problems.
(2) Fecal coliform/E.Coli. Fecal coliforms and E.
coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the
water may be contaminated with human or animal
wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause
short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps,
nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose
a special health risk for infants, young children,
and people with severely compromised immune systems.
Inorganic Contaminants:
(7) Antimony. Some people who drink water-containing
antimony well in excess of the MCL over many years
could experience increases in blood cholesterol and
decreases in blood sugar.
(8) Arsenic. Some people who drink water-containing
arsenic in excess of the MCL over many years could
experience skin damage or problems with their
circulatory system, and may have an increased risk
of getting cancer.
(14) Copper. 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.
The copper levels are in compliance. During our last
set of lead samples we had all samples collected
under the action limit.
(17) Lead. 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 this water over many years could develop
kidney problems or high blood pressure. If present,
elevated levels of lead can cause serious health
problems, especially for pregnant women and young
children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from
materials and components associated with service
lines and home plumbing. The Town of Emmitsburg is
responsible for providing high quality drinking
water, but cannot control a variety of materials
used in plumbing components. When your water has
been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the
potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for
30 seconds to 2 minutes before using the water for
drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead
in your drinking water, you may wish to have your
water tested. Information on lead in drinking water,
testing methods, and EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline
at 1-800-426-4791 or at steps you can take to
minimize exposure is available from the http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Lead in drinking water is rarely the sole cause of
lead poisoning, but it can add to a person's total
lead exposure. All potential sources of lead in the
household should be identified and removed, replaced
or reduced.
(19) Nitrate. Infants below the age of six months
who drink water-containing nitrate in excess of the
MCL could become seriously ill and, if untreated,
may die. Symptoms include shortness of breath and
blue-baby syndrome.
(73) TTHMs [Total Trihalomethanes]. Some people who
drink water-containing trihalomethanes in excess of
the MCL over many years may experience problems with
their liver, kidneys, or central nervous systems,
and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
The Town has completed (2009) our Initial System
Evaluation for THHM"s and Haleocetic Acids (HAA5).
These tests are required by the E.P.A and M.D.E. as
part of the ongoing Safe Drinking Water Act.
MCL's are set at very stringent levels. To
understand the possible health effects described for
many regulated contaminants, a person would have to
drink 2 liters of water every day at the MCL level
for a lifetime to have a one-in-a-million chance of
having the described health effect.
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 Safe Drinking
Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
If you have any questions about this report or
concerning your water utility, please contact Daniel
R. Fissel at 301-447-3141. 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 meetings. They are held on the
first Monday of every month at the Town Hall
beginning at 7:30 PM.
We at the TOWN OF EMMITSBURG 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.
We also ask our customers to report any
suspicious activities to the town hall @
301-600-6300. During these time so heightened
security, if it does not seem right, please call it
in! If no one is available please call 911.
Please make water conservation a daily practice. If
you see water coming out where you do not think it
should be or an unusually wet area please inform the
office, it may be a leak.
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