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Ascutney Fire District #2
Annual Consumer Confidence Report
April, 2014
This
report is a snapshot of the quality of the water that we provided in
2013. Included are the details about where your water comes from, what
it contains, and how it compares to Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) and state standards. We are committed to providing you with
information because informed customers are our best allies. This report
is designed to inform you about the quality water and services we
deliver to you every day. To learn more, you are welcome to attend any
of our regularly scheduled Prudential Committee meetings which are
normally held at 6:00 PM on the second Monday of each month in Martin
Memorial Hall. Please contract Fire District Manager Jim Mullen to
confirm dates and times. Jim Mullen is also available to answer any
questions you may have about the water system or this report. (townmgr@weathersfield.org; 802-674-2626; P.O. Box 550, Ascutney, VT 05030)
Water Source Information
Your water comes from two wells located on 6.7 acres of land owned by the Fire District off Sunset Boulevard.
The
State of Vermont Water Supply Rule requires Public Community Water
Systems to develop a Source Protection Plan. This plan delineates a
source protection area for our system and identifies potential and
actual sources of contamination. Please contact us if you are interested
in reviewing the plan.
Drinking Water Contaminants
The sources of
drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include surface water
(streams, lakes) and ground water (wells, springs). As water travels
over the land’s surface or through the ground, it dissolves
naturally-occurring minerals. It also picks up substances resulting from
the presence of animals and human activity. Some “contaminants” may be
harmful. Others, such as iron and sulfur, are not harmful. Public water
systems treat water to remove contaminants, if any are present.
In order to ensure
that your water is safe to drink, we test it regularly according to
regulations established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and
the State of Vermont. These regulations limit the amount of various
contaminants:
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, may come from a variety of sources such as storm water run-off, agriculture, and residential users.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of mining activity
Organic contaminants,
including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are
by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and also
come from gas stations, urban storm water run-off, and septic systems.
Water Quality Data
The table below
lists all the drinking water contaminants that we detected during the
past year. It also includes the date and results of any contaminants
that we detected within the past five years if tested less than once a
year. The presence of these contaminants in the water does not
necessarily show that the water poses a health risk.
Terms and abbreviations - In
this table you may find terms you might not be familiar with. To help
you better understand these terms we have provided the following
definitions:
Maximum Contamination Level Goal (MCLG):
The “Goal” is the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which
there is no known or expected risk to human health. MCLG’s allow for a
margin of safety.
Maximum Contamination Level (MCL):
The “Maximum Allowed” MCL is the highest level of a contaminant that is
allowed in drinking water. MCL’s are set as close to the MCLG’s as
feasible using the best available treatment technology.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal (MRDLG):
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
disinfectants in controlling microbial contaminants.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL): The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in
drinking water. Addition a disinfectant may help control microbial contaminants.
Action Level (AL):
The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers
treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
90th Percentile: Ninety percent of the samples are below the action level. (Nine of ten sites sampled were at or below this level).
Treatment Technique (TT): A process aimed to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.
Parts per million (ppm) or Milligrams per liter (mg/l): (one penny in ten thousand dollars)
Parts per billion (ppb) or Micrograms per liter (µg/l): (one penny in ten million dollars)
Picocuries per liter (pCi/L): a measure of radioactivity in water
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): NTU is a measure of the clarity of water. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
Running Annual Average (RAA): The average of 4 consecutive quarters (when on quarterly monitoring); values in table represent the highest RAA for the year
Detected Contaminants in the Fire District’s drinking water
Violation(s) that occurred during the year
We
are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants
on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of
whether or not our drinking water meets health standards. The below
table lists any drinking water violations we incurred during 2013. A
failure to perform required monitoring means we cannot be sure of the
quality of our water during that time.
Additional information
The Fire District
continues to test the water for contaminants using a schedule for
testing required by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.
Health information regarding drinking water
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 EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline
(1-800-426-4791).
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 the water poses a health
risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects
can be obtained by calling the Safe Drinking Water Hotline.
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. ASCUTNEY FD #2 is responsible for providing high quality
drinking water, but cannot control the 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 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 steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from
the Safe Drinking Water Hotline or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.
Public Notice - Uncorrected Significant Deficiencies:
The system is required to inform the public of any significant
deficiencies identified during a sanitary survey conducted by the
Drinking Water and Groundwater Protection Division that have not yet
been corrected. For more information please refer to the schedule for
compliance in the system’s Operating Permit.
The Fire District
will be undertaking a comprehensive set of upgrades in 2014-2015 which
will correct all deficiencies listed in the latest sanitary surveys
conducted by the state.
Proposed Improvements
We are
in the final stages of designing and permitting improvements to the
water system to bring it up to current reliability standards, satisfy
State requirements, and correct all deficiencies noted above. We
anticipate that construction on these improvements will begin in mid- to
late- summer of this year and continue into the summer of 2015. We look
forward to the installation of the two backup generators to ensure that
water service will continue during power outages.
Well Site off Sunset Boulevard
Water Storage and Pumping Building on Stardust Circle
Distribution System
Distribution information for this Report
Please share this
information with all the other people who drink this water, especially
those who may not have received this notice directly (for example,
people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can
do this by posting this notice in a public place and distributing copies
by hand or mail. Additional copies may be obtained from the Fire
District Manager Jim Mullen.
For more information contact:
Fire District Manager Jim Mullen
Ascutney Fire District #2, PO Box 550, Ascutney, VT 05030
Telephone 802-674-2626; townmgr@weathersfield.org
or
Prudential Committee Members
George Murray, Chair
Everett Bingham
Bill Southard
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Thursday, April 24, 2014
Fire District Consumer Confidence Report
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