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The sources of drinking water include rivers, lakes, ponds and wells. As water travels over the surface of the land or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and radioactive material and can pick up substances resulting from human or animal activity. All sources of drinking water are subject to potential contamination by substances that are naturally occurring or man made. 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, or 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-occuring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
Units: 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. Micrograms per Liter (µg/1) – a measure of radioactivity in water. Millirems per year (mrem/year) – a measure of radiation absorbed by the 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. Definitions: Action Level (AL) - the concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow. Treatment Technique (TT) - A treatment technique is a required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) - The MCL is 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 MCLG is 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. Drinking Water Equivalent Level (DWEL) – A lifetime exposure concentration protective of adverse, non-cancer health effects, that assumes all of the exposure to a contaminant is from a drinking water source. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Lead - Major Sources in Drinking Water: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits. Health Effects Statement: 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. Copper - Major Sources in Drinking Water: Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives Health Effects Statement: 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. Corrosion Control Treatment Steps Violation From July 25, 2005 to the present, Sunny Acres is in violation of Corrosion Control Treatment Steps. Drinking water regulations require that samples are taken from homes with a high risk potential for Lead/Copper in the plumbing. Five samples were taken from five different apartments. One of the samples came back with a high lead result. The high test result was from an apartment that had been vacant for quite some time. To resolve this violation, we took five additional samples on August 23, 2005 and another five samples to be taken 6 months thereafter. MCL’s are set at very stringent levels. To understand the possible health effects described for many regulated constituents, 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. In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, EPA prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which 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 the water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791. 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 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). Source Water Protection: Source water is untreated water from streams, rivers, lakes, or underground aquifers that is used to supply public drinking water. Preventing drinking water contamination at the source makes good public health sense, good economic sense, and good environmental sense. You can be aware of the challenges of keeping drinking water safe and take an active role in protecting drinking water. There are lots of ways that you can get involved in drinking water protection activities to prevent the contamination of the ground water source. Dispose properly of household chemicals, help clean up the watershed that is the source of your community's water, attend public meetings to ensure that the community's need for safe drinking water is considered in making decisions about land use. Contact our office for more information on source water protection, or contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at 1.800.426.4791. You may also find information on EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/safewater/protect.html. A source water assessment report was recently completed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Drinking Water Division. The completed Assessment report is available for access on the Drinking Water Division’s web site: http://www.dph.state.ct.us/BRS/Water/Source_Protection/source_protection.htm The assessment found that this public drinking water source has a moderate susceptibility to potential sources of contamination. Additional source water assessment information can be found at the Environmental Protection Agency’s website: www.epa.gov/safewater/protect/swap.html. Water is a limited resource so it is vital that we all work together to maintain it and use it wisely. Here are a few tips you can follow to help conserve. Additional information on water conservation may be obtained by accessing EPA’s “Water Use Efficiency Program” webpage: http://www.epa.gov/owm/water-efficiency/index.htm: o Check for leaky toilets (put a drop of food coloring in the tank, let it sit if the water in the bowl turns color, you have a leak). A leaking faucet or toilet can dribble away thousands of gallons of water a year. o Consider replacing your 5-gallon per flush toilet with an efficient 1.6 gallon per flush unit. This will permanently cut your water consumption by 25%. o Run only full loads in dishwashers and washing machines. Rinse all hand-washed dishes at once. o Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth, or shaving. o Store a jug of ice water in the refrigerator for a cold drink. o Water lawn and plants in the early morning or evening hours to avoid excess evaporation. Don’t water on a windy, rainy or very hot day. o Water shrubs and gardens using a slow trickle around the roots. A slow soaking encourages deep root growth, reduces leaf burn or mildew and prevents water loss. Select low-water demanding plants that provide an attractive landscape without high water use. o Apply mulch around flowers, shrubs, vegetables and trees to reduce evaporation, promote plant growth and control weeds. Shrubs and ground covers require less maintenance, less water and provide year-round greenery. o Be sure that your hose has a shut-off nozzle. Hoses without a nozzle can spout 10 gallons more per minute. o When washing your car, wet it quickly, turn on the spray, wash it with soapy water from the bucket, rinse quickly. o Be sure sprinklers water only your lawn, not the pavement. o Never use the hose to clean debris off your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom. Rinse other items, such as bicycles or trash, on the lawn to give your grass an extra drink.
We, at Sunny Acres, 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.
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Radioactive Contaminants 4. Beta/photon emitters 5. Gross alpha 6. Combined radium |
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15. Cyanide 16. Fluoride 17. Lead 18. Mercury (inorganic) 19. Nitrate (as Nitrogen) 20. Nitrite (as Nitrogen) 21. Selenium 22. Thallium |
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35. Dinoseb 36. Diquat 37. Dioxin [2,3,7,8-TCDD] 38. Endothall 39. Endrin 40. Epichlorohydrin 41. Ethylene dibromide 42. Glyphosate 43. Heptachlor 44. Heptachlor epoxide |
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45. Hexachlorobenzene 46. Hexachlorocyclo-pentadiene 47. Lindane 48. Methoxychlor 49. Oxamyl [Vydate] 50. PCBs [Polychlorinated biphenyls] 51. Pentachlorophenol 52. Picloram 53. Simazine 54. Toxaphene |
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63. trans - 1,2 -Dichloroethylene 64. Dichloromethane 65. 1,2-Dichloropropane 66. Ethylbenzene 66a. Haloacetic Acids 67. Styrene 68. Tetrachloroethylene 69. 1,2,4 -Trichlorobenzene |
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70. 1,1,1 - Trichloroethane 71. 1,1,2 -Trichloroethane 72. Trichloroethylene 73. TTHM [Total trihalomethanes] 74. Toluene 75. Vinyl Chloride 76. Xylenes |
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Dieldrin 3-Hydroxycarbofuran Methomyl Metolachlor Metribuzin Propachlor |
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o-Chlorotoluene p-Chlorotoluene Dibromomethane m-Dichlorobenzene 1,1-Dichloroethane 1,3-Dichloropropane 2,2-Dichloropropane 1,1-Dichloropropene 1,3 Dichloropropene Methyl-Tertiary-Butyl-Ether (MTBE) |
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Naphthalene n-Propylbenzene 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane 1,2,3-Trichlropropane 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene m-Xylene o-Xylene p-Xylene |
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Sunny Acres Water Quality Report |
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Welcome to Plainfield, Connecticut |