Water Quality
Since the Authority operates its own distribution system, as well as being a part owner of the Forest Park Water facilities, sampling under the SDWA (Safe Drinking Water Act) is conducted independently by both utilities in accordance with appropriate requirements. This ensures that the Authority takes all distribution samples for which it is responsible and Forest Park Water takes all samples related to a surface water treatment facility. To some extent, this arrangement results in duplication of testing, but ensures an added measure of quality control.
Following is a complete listing of all contaminants monitored for by the Authority and Forest Park Water during the 2012 calendar year.
| Volatile Organic Contaminants | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Violation Yes/No |
NWWA Level Detected | Range | MCLG Goal | MCL |
| Benzene (ppb); Carbon tetrachloride (ppb); Chlorobenzene (ppb); o-Dichlorobenzene (ppb); p-Dichlorobenzene (ppb); 1,2 - Dichloroethane (ppb); 1,1 - Dichloroethylene (ppb); cis-1,2-Dichloroethylene (ppb); trans-1,2-Dichloroethylene (ppb); Dichloromethane (ppb); 1,2-Dichloropropane (ppb); 1,2 - Dichlorobenzene (ppb); 1,4 - Dichlorobenzene (ppb); Ethylbenzene (ppb); Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE*) (ppb); Methyl Chloride (ppb); Styrene (ppb); Tetrachloroethylene (ppb); 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene (ppb); 1,1,1 - Trichloroethane (ppb); 1,1,2 -Trichloroethane (ppb); Trichloroethylene (ppb); Toluene (ppm); Vinyl Chloride (ppb) and Total Xylenes (ppm) were monitored but not detected. Data presented in the above table is from calendar year 2012 monitoring performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. *MTBE is a non-regulated contaminant that is routinely monitored by the Authority. |
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| Inorganic Contaminants | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Violation Yes/No |
NWWA Level Detected | Range | MCLG Goal | MCL |
| Copper* (ppm) (6/2010) | No | 0.3866* | 0.0579-0.5993 | 1.3 | AL=1.3 |
| Lead* (ppb) (6/2010) | No | 0* | 0-0.0027 | 0 | AL=15 |
| Nitrate (as Nitrogen) (ppm) | No | 2.78 | 0.134-4.29 | 10 | 10 |
| Barium (ppm) | No | 0.25 | 0.16-0.42 | 2 | 2 |
| Antimony (ppb); Arsenic (ppb); Asbestos (MFL); Beryllium (ppb); Cadmium (ppb); Chromium (ppb); Cyanide (ppb); Mercury (inorganic) (ppb); Cyanide (ppb); Mercury (inorganic) (ppb); Nickel (ppb); Flouride (ppm); Nitrite (as Nitrogen) (ppm); Selenium (ppb) and Thallium (ppb) were monitored but not detected. Unless otherwise noted, data presented in the above table is from calendar year 2012 monitoring performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Likely Source of Contamination: Copper: Corrosion of household plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits, leaching from wood preservatives; Lead: Corrosion of household plumbing, erosion of natural deposits; Nitrate (as Nitrogen): Runoff from fertilizer use, leaching from septic tanks, erosion of natural deposits; Barium: Discharge of drilling wastes, discharge from metal foundries, erosion of natural deposits. *Naturally occurring levels of lead and copper in the source water are non-detectable. This table represents the level detected in the 90th percentile of homes monitored in accordance with the US-EPA Lead and Copper Rule. None of the homes monitored for these contaminants exceeded the Action Level (AL). |
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| Radioactive Contaminants | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Violation Yes/No |
NWWA Level Detected | Range | MCLG Goal | MCL |
| Gross Alpha (adjusted) (pCi/L) (3/2011) | No | 5.06 | 0-9.48 | 0 | 15 |
| Combined Uranium (ug/L) (3/2011) | No | 2.75 | 0.44-7.46 | 0 | 30 |
| Combined Radium pCi/L (226 + 228) (3/2011) | No | 1.44 | 0-1.95 | 0 | 5 |
| Data presented in the above table is from the most recent monitoring performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Likely Source of Contamination: Gross Alpha, Combined Radium and Uranium: Erosion of natural deposits. |
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| Microbiological Contaminants | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Violation Yes/No |
NWWA Level Detected | Range | MCLG Goal | MCL |
| Total Coliform Bacteria | No | 0 | N/A | 0 | presence of coliform bacteria in 5% of monthly samples |
| Fecal Coliform and E. coli Bacteria | No | 0 | N/A | 0 | a routine sample and repeat sample are total coliform positive, and one is also fecal coliform or E. coli positive |
| Turbidity (NTU) | No | 0.028 | 0.02-0.04 | N/A | TT |
| Data presented in the above table is from calendar year 2012 monitoring performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Coliform bacteria, disinfection residual and turbidity are monitored on a continuous basis and reported monthly. 100% of all turbidity samples were below 0.1 NTU. As a member of the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water, our goal is to maintain turbidity levels below 0.1 NTU. This was achieved throughout 2012. Raw water monitoring for Giardia and Cryptosporidium was performed monthly throughout 2012. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were not detected in any of the samples. Likely Source of Contamination: Turbidity: Soil runoff. |
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| Synthetic Organic Contaminants (including Pesticides & Herbicides) | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Violation Yes/No |
NWWA Level Detected | Range | MCLG Goal | MCL |
| Atrazine (ppb) | No | 0.025 | 0-0.1 | 3 | 3 |
| 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane (ppb); 2,4-D (ppb); 2,4,5-TP (Silvex) (ppb); Alachlor (ppb); Atrazine (ppb); Benzo(a)pyrene (PAH) (nanograms/L); Chlordane (ppb); Carbofuran (ppb); Dalapon (ppb); Dicamba (ppb); Di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate (ppb); Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (ppb); Dinoseb (ppb); Dioxin [2,3,7,8-TCDD] (ppb); Diquat (ppb); Endothall; Endrin (ppb); Ethylene Dibromide; Glyphosphate (ppb); Heptachlor (nanograms/L); Heptachlor epoxide (nanograms/L); Hexachlorobenzene (ppb); Hexachlorocyclopentadiene (ppb); Lindane (nanograms/L); Methoxychlor (ppb); Oxamyl (ppb); Pentachlorophenol (ppb); Picloram (ppb); Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) (ppb); Simazine (ppb) and Toxaphene (ppb) were monitored, but not detected. Data presented in the above table is from calendar year 2012 monitoring performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Likely Source of Contamination: Atrazine: runoff from herbicides used on row crops. |
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| Disinfectants & Disinfection By-Products | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Violation Yes/No |
NWWA Level Detected | Range | MCLG Goal | MCL |
| Chlorine residual (mg/L) | No | 0.486 | 0.10-1.21 | 4* | 4** |
| Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) (ppb) | No | 21.58 | 7.51-41.8 | 0 | 80 |
| Haloacetic acids (HAA5) (ppb) | No | 6.43 | 0-13.1 | 0 | 60 |
| Bromate (ppb) | No | 0.90 | 0-1.90 | 0 | 10 |
| Data presented in the above table is from calendar year 2012 monitoring performed in accordance with the regulations of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. Likely Source of Contamination: Chlorine: Water additive used for disinfection; Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM): By-products of drinking water disinfection; Haloacetic acids (HAA5): By-products of drinking water disinfection; Bromate: By-product of drinking water disinfection. *Maximum Residual Disinfection Level Goal (MRDLG). **Maximum Residual Disinfection Level (MRDL). |
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| Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Assessment | |||||
| Contaminant (Unit of Measurement) | Level Detected | Range | |||
| N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) (ppb) | 0.0086 | 0-0.0086 | |||
| Dimethoate (ppb); Terbufos sulfone (ppb); 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) (ppb); 2,2',4,4',5-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-99) (ppb); 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-153) (ppb); 2,2',4,4',6-pentabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-100) (ppb); 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromodiphenyl (HBB) (ppb); 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) (ppb); 1,3-dinitrobenzene (ppb); Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) (ppb); Acetochlor (ppb); Alachlor (ppb); Metolachlor (ppb); Acetochlor ethane sulfonic acid (ESA) (ppb); Acetochlor oxanilic acid (OA) (ppb); Alachlor ESA (ppb); Alachlor OA (ppb); Metolachlor ESA (ppb); Metolachlor OA (ppb); N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) (ppb); N-nitroso-di-n-butylamine (NDBA) (ppb); N-nitroso-di-n-propylamine (NDPA) (ppb); N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA) (ppb); N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) (ppb) were monitored but not detected. Data presented in the above table is from calendar year 2010-2011 monitoring performed in accordance with the US-EPA Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule-2. Likely Source of Contamination: N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA): Nitrosamines can form as intermediates and byproducts in chemical synthesis and manufacture of rubber, leather and lastics; can form spontaneously by reaction of precursor amines with nitrosating agents (nitrate and related compounds), or by action of nitrate-reducing bacteria. Foods such as bacon and malt beverages can contain nitrosamines; there is also evidence that they form in the upper GI tract. |
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