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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBolton_Water_2021 Drinking Water Quality ReportBolton Point is providing this Drinking Water Quality Report to our consumers because we want you to be fully informed about your water’s quality and the need to protect its source. This overview of last year’s water quality includes details about where your water comes from, what it contains, and how it compares to State standards. If you have any questions about this report or your drinking water, please contact Glenn Ratajczak, Production Manager, 277-0660, ext. 241, gratajczak@ boltonpoint.org, or you may at- tend any of our regularly sched- uled public meetings. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION OF WATER SERVICE Cayuga Lake is the source of water for the BP-MWS. The water intake is approximately 3 miles north of Stewart Park, 400 feet out from the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake, and 65 feet below the surface of the lake. During 2020, the Bolton Point system did not experience any restriction of its water source. The system serves residents of the Towns of Dryden, Ithaca and Lansing, and the Villages of Cayuga Heights and Lansing, and provides water to some City of Ithaca customers on Oakwood Lane, Hector Street, War- ren Place, Sunrise Road, and Richards Place. It provides water to other parts of the City of Ithaca and Cornell during emergencies and planned maintenance periods. Meetings of the Bolton Point Wa- ter Commission are held on the first Thursday after the first Tuesday of each month at 4:00 p.m. at the Bolton Point water treatment plant, 1402 East Shore Drive, Ithaca New York, 14850.TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Water Treatment Processes B. Health Effects and Individuals At-Risk C. Water Quality Data D. General Water Information (Tables 1&2) E. Detected Contaminants (Table 3) F. Non-detected Contaminants (Table 4) G. Major Modifications Completed H. Future Projects and Capital Improvements I. Security Concerns J. Source Water Protection K. Water Conservation Measures COMMON WATER QUALITY DEFINITIONS ALKALINITY is a measure of the capability of water to neutralize acids. Bicarbonates, carbonates, and hydrox- ides are the most common forms of alkalinity. HARDNESS is a measure of the calcium and magnesium content of natural waters. The harder the water, the greater the tendency to precipitate soap and to form mineral deposits. Alkalinity and hardness occur naturally due to the contact of water with min- erals in the earth’s crust. pH indicates how acidic or alkaline a water sample is. A value of 7 is neutral, 0-6 is acidic and 8-14 is alkaline. TOTAL ORGANIC CARBON (TOC) is a measure of the organic content of water. A high concentration of TOC in water may lead to high levels of disin- fection byproducts. TURBIDITY is a measure of the cloudi- ness of water. It is an indication of the effectiveness of water treatment. NYS regulations require that treated water turbidity always be below 1 NTU (nephelometric turbidity unit). For filtered systems 95% of the composite effluent samples must be below 0.3 NTU. DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT2021 Bolton Point Municipal Water System " Bolton Point Intake TOWN OF LANSING VILLAGE OF LANSING TOWN OFDRYDEN VILLAGE OF CAYUGAHEIGHTS TOWN OF ITHACA Bolton Point uses the following con- ventional surface water treatment. PRE-TREATMENT: Coagulating agents such as alum or polymers are added to the water to remove impurities and control taste and odor. A disinfectant is added to destroy microorganisms. MIXING: The water is rapidly mixed to distribute the treatment chemicals evenly. COAGULATION AND FLOCCULA- TION: The water flows into large basins where the coagulants react with impurities in the water (coagulation) causing them to form larger, heavier particles called floc (flocculation). SEDIMENTATION: Flocculated water flows into basins where the floc particles settle to the bottom, thereby removing impurities and chemicals from the water. FILTRATION: Following the settling process, water flows through layers of anthracite coal, sand, and garnet where further removal of particulate impuri- ties occurs. POST-TREATMENT: Chlorine is added to inhibit bacterial growth in the distri- bution system, and the pH is adjusted to inhibit the corrosion of metal pipes and fixtures. C.WATER QUALITY DATA INTRODUCTION: The sources of drinking water (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 dis- solves naturally occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material. It also can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activities. Contaminants that may be present in source water include microbial contaminants, inorganic con- taminants, pesticides and herbicides, organic chemical contaminants, and radioactive contaminants. To ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the State and the EPA prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminants in water pro- vided by public water systems. State Health Department and Federal Drug Administration regulations also estab- lish limits for contaminants in bottled water, which must provide the same protection for public health. In accordance with State regulations, Bolton Point routinely monitors your drinking water for numerous contami- nants. Table 3 shows the analytical test results for contaminants that were detected. These results are compared to the applicable State guideline or maximum contaminate level (MCL). Table 4 shows the contaminants that were not detected in your water. The State allows testing less frequently than once per year for some contami- nants since the concentrations of these contaminants do not change fre- quently. Therefore some data, though representative, are more than one year old. TOTAL COLIFORMS: Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially harm- ful, bacteria may be present. All drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of con- taminants does not necessarily indicate the water poses a health risk. Some people may be more vulnerable to disease causing microorganisms or pathogens in drinking water than the general population. Immuno- compromised persons such as those with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, those who have undergone organ transplants, those with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and some infants can be par- ticularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice from their health care provider about their drink- ing water. Environmental Protection Agency/ Center for Disease Control (EPA/ CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by cryptosporidium, giardia, and other microbial pathogens are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791). No trace of either of these pathogens has been detected in previous testing of the treated water of Bolton Point. Individuals who think they may have one of these illnesses should contact their health care provider immediately. For additional in- formation please contact the Tompkins County Health Department, 55 Brown Road, Ithaca, New York 14850 or by phone at 274-6688. B.HEALTH EFFECTS AND INDIVIDUALS AT-RISK PAGE 2 | DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 2021 A. WATER TREATMENT PROCESS LEAD AND COPPER: Bolton Point was required to sample for lead in 2020. There were no violations of State standards. SODIUM: People who are on severely restricted sodium diets should not drink water containing more than 20 mg/L of sodium. Since the 2020 level of sodium in Bolton Point was 35 mg/L, customers on severely restricted sodium diets might wish to consult their health care providers. People who are on moderately restricted sodium diets should not drink water containing more than 270 mg/L of sodium. The sodium levels of the water from Bolton Point are well below this level. During the course of the year, for maintenance purposes or for emer- gency help, potable water is exchanged among the three local water systems. If you wish to know if this occurred, the time periods, and the water vol- umes, please call your water supplier. Required testing by the EPA for the Unregulated Contaminant Monitor- ing Rule #4 (UCMR4) was completed by Bolton Point in 2020. Information about the rule and the contaminants can be found on EPA website (epa.gov). The results of detected contaminants of UCMR4 can be found in Table 3. For more information on UCMR4 testing contact Glenn Ratajczak at 277-0660 ext 241. HYDRILLA TREATMENT INFORMA- TION: Cayuga Lake was treated in 2020 with herbicides after the invasive species Hydrilla was located in Cayuga Inlet in 2011. All monitoring results for sampling related to the Hydrilla Eradi- cation Program can be found at www. StopHydrilla.org. D. GENERAL WATER INFORMATION WATER SYSTEM PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY ID # BP-MWS 5404423 Water Source Cayuga Lake Approximate population served 30,000 Number of service connections 7175 Total production (MG1)910.2 Average daily withdrawal (MGD2)2.597 Average daily delivered (MGD)2.487 Average daily lost (MGD) 0.110 Annual charge per 1000 gal.$8.653 ANALYTE UNITS BP-MWS ANNUAL AVERAGE pH (EP1)8.3 Turbidity (EP)NTU 0.040 Total Hardness mg/L 148.0 Total Alkalinity mg/L 107 Chlorine Residual (EP)mg/L 1.53 Chlorine Residual (POU2)mg/L 0.53 Turbidity (POU)NTU 0.09 Total Organic Carbon (EP)mg/L 1.7 Dissolved Organic Carbon (EP)mg/L 1.7 Table 2: General Water Quality Data - 2020 Table 1: General Water Data – 2020 1MG = million gallons 2MGD = million gallons per day 3Average of the rates charged by the five member municipalities of the BP-MWS. 1EP = Entry Point 2POU = Point of Use Definitions of NTU and mg/L found with Table 3 DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 2021| PAGE 3 E. DETECTED CONTAMINANTS Table 3: Detected Contaminants Contaminant Units Violation Y/N Date of Sample Maximum Level Detected (Range) Regulatory Limit MCLG Likely Source of Contamination Microbiological contaminants Turbidity (EP)NTU No 3/2/20 0.065 TT=<1 NTU N/A Soil runoff. Turbidity (POU)NTU No 6/20 0.120 MCL>5NTU N/A Soil runoff. Turbidity samples % below MCL No Daily 100%TT=95% of samples <0.3NTU N/A Soil runoff. Total Organic Carbon mg/L No Quarterly 2.2 (1.5-2.2)TT N/A Naturally present in the environment Disinfection By-Products Total THMs Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 ug/L No Quarterly 80 (66-87)¹ 75 (47-88)1 62 (42-70)1 53 (42-53)1 69 (53-68)1 MCL = 80 Running Annual Average N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination. Total HAA5 Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 ug/L No Quarterly 14 (7.7-26)1 19 (4.8-31)1 20 (11-29)1 19 (10-25)1 23 (12-29)1 MCL = 60 Running Annual Average N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination. Chlorine Residual mg/L No 2020 1.36 (0.00- 1.36) MRDL=4 N/A Water additive used to control microbes. Chlorite mg/L No 2020 0.202 (0.086- 0.269)2 MCL = 1.0 0.8 By-product of drinking water chlorination. Inorganics Barium mg/L No 9/9/20 0.025 MCL=2 2 Drilling wastes; erosion of natural deposits. Copper mg/L No 2020 0.053 (0.004- 0.240) AL=1.3 1.3 Household plumbing corrosion; erosion of natural deposits; wood preservatives. Fluoride mg/L No 2020 0.12 MCL=2.2 N/A Erosion of natural deposits. Lead ug/L No 2020 2.4 (ND-5.4)AL=15 0 Household plumbing corrosion; erosion of natural deposits. Nickel mg/L No 9/9/20 0.0013 N/A N/A Erosion of natural deposits. Nitrate mg/L No 9/9/20 1.1 MCL=10 10 Fertilizer runoff; septic tank leaching; sewage; erosion of natural deposits. Sodium mg/L No 9/9/20 35 See Water Quality, Section C N/A Naturally occurring; road salt; animal waste; water softeners; water treatment chemicals. Radioactive Radium-228 pCi/L No 10/5/17 0.929 MCL=5 0 Erosion of natural deposits. PAGE 4 | DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 2021 Notes and Definitions for Table 3: AL (action level): The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers additional treatment or other requirements that a water system must follow. HAA5 (haloacetic acids): These are a group of chemicals that are formed when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic mat- ter in water. The regulated haloacetic acids, known as HAA5, are monochlo- roacetic, dichloroacetic, trichloroacetic, monobromoacetic, and dibromoacetic acids. The maximum level detected of HAA5 is the highest of the four quar- terly running annual averages calcu- lated during the year and is the basis of the MCL for these compounds. 1See “maximum level detected” below. Range of site in parentheses. 2Chlorite is the average of 3 distribution samples taken monthly. Range of all samples in parentheses. 3Source water. 4Average of quarterly samples at 5 sites. Range of sites in parenthesis. Contaminant Units Violation Y/N Date of Sample Maximum Level Detected (Range) Regulatory Limit MCLG Likely Source of Contamination Unregulated Contaminants (UCMR4) Bromide3 ug/L No 2019- 2020 46.9 (44.9- 50.6) Unregulated N/A HAA5 ug/L No 2019- 2020 25.7 (2.2-64.4)4 Unregulated N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination. HAA6Br ug/L No 2019- 2020 15.0 (3.5-31.4)4 Unregulated N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination. HAA9 ug/L No 2019- 2020 39.1 (6.4-91.1)4 Unregulated N/A By-product of drinking water chlorination. Manganese ug/L No 2019- 2020 2.03 (0.48- 3.44) Unregulated N/A Naturally occurring; Indicative of landfill con- tamination. Total Organic Carbon3 mg/L No 2019- 2020 2.1 (1.9-2.3)Unregulated N/A Naturally present in the environment. Lead and Copper: The maximum level values reported for lead and copper represent the 90th percentile of the samples taken. Testing for these metals is only required every three years. Maximum Level Detected: The highest measurement detected for the contam- inant during the year. For total THMs and HAA5 the maximum level detected is the highest of the four quarterly run- ning annual averages during the year. MCL (maximum contaminant level): The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible. MCLG (maximum contaminant level goal): 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. mg/L (milligrams per liter): Corre- sponds to one part in one million parts of liquid (parts per million, ppm). MRDL (maximum residual disinfection level): The highest level of a disinfec- tant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary to control microbial contaminants. MRDLG (maximum residual disinfec- tant level goal): 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 the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination. N/A (not applicable). ND (not detected): Laboratory analysis indicates that the constituent is not present. DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 2021| PAGE 5 F. NON-DETECTED CONTAMINANTS Table 4: Non-Detected Contaminants Contaminant Sample Year Microbiological 2020 E. Coli X Total Coliform X Inorganics 2020 Antimony X Arsenic X Beryllium X Cadmium X Chromium X Cyanide, total X Mercury X Selenium X Thallium X Synthetic Organics & Pesticides 2020 Alachlor X Aldicarb X Aldicarb sulfone X Aldicarb sulfoxide X Atrazine X Carbofuran X Chlordane, total X 1,2-Dibromo-3-chloropropane X 1,2-Dibromoethane X 2,4-D X Endrin X Heptachlor X Heptachlor epoxide X Lindane X Methoxychlor X PCB - aroclor 1016 X PCB - aroclor 1221 X PCB - aroclor 1232 X PCB - aroclor 1242 X PCB - aroclor 1248 X PCB - aroclor 1254 X PCB - aroclor 1260 X Pentachlorophenol X Toxaphene X 2,4,5-TP (Silvex)X Aldrin X Benzo(a)pyrene X Butachlor X Carbaryl X Dalapon X bis (2-Ethylhexyl) adipate X bis (2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate X Dicamba X Dieldrin X Dinoseb X Hexachlorobenzene X Hexachlorocyclopentadiene X 3-Hydroxycarbofuran X Methomyl X Metolachlor X Metribuzin X Oxamyl (Vydate)X Picloram X Simazine X Contaminant Sample Year Principal Organics, Vinyl Chloride, and MTBE 2020 Benzene X Bromobenzene X Bromochloromethane X Bromomethane X n-Butylbenzene X sec-Butylbenzene X tert-Butylbenzene X Carbon tetrachloride X Chlorobenzene X Chloroethane X Chloromethane X 2-Chlorotoluene X 4-Chlorotoluene X Dibromomethane X 1,2-Dichlorobenzene X 1,3-Dichlorobenzene X 1,4-Dichlorobenzene X Dichlorodifluoromethane X 1,1-Dichloroethane X 1,2-Dichloroethane X 1,1-Dichloroethene X cis-1,2-Dichloroethene X trans-1,2-Dichloroethene X 1,2-Dichloropropane X 1,3-Dichloropropane X 2,2-Dichloropropane X 1,1-Dichloropropene X cis-1,3-Dichloropropene X trans-1,3-Dichloropropene X Ethylbenzene X Hexachloro-1,3-butadiene X Isopropylbenzene X 4-Isopropyltoluene X Methylene chloride X n-Propylbenzene X Styrene X 1,1,1,2-Tetrachloroethane X 1,1,2,2-Tetrachloroethane X Tetrachloroethene X Toluene X 1,2,3-Trichlorobenzene X 1,2,4-Trichlorobenzene X 1,1,1-Trichloroethane X 1,1,2-Trichloroethane X Trichloroethene X Trichlorofluoromethane X 1,2,3-Trichloropropane X 1,2,4-Trimethylbenzene X 1,3,5-Trimethylbenzene X m-Xylene X o-Xylene X p-Xylene X Vinyl chloride X MTBE X Radiological 2017 Gross Alpha X Radium-226 X 1,4-Dioxane/PFAS 2020 1,4-Dioxane X Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA)X Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)X X = Monitored, but not detected NTU (nephelometric turbidity unit): A measure of the clarity of water. Turbid- ity of approximately 5 NTU is barely noticeable by the average person. pCi/L (picocuries per liter): A measure of radioactivity in water. Range: The range of lowest to highest measurements detected for contami- nants measured during the year. THM (trihalomethanes): These are a group of chemicals that are formed when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in water. The regulated trihalometh- anes are bromodichloromethane, bromoform, chloroform, and dibro- mochloromethane. These compounds result from the disinfection of water with chlorine. The maximum level detected of THMs is the highest of the four quarterly running annual averages calculated during the year and is the basis of the MCL for these compounds. TT (treatment technique): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water. ug/L (micrograms per liter): Corre- sponds to one part in one billion parts of liquid (parts per billion, ppb). PAGE 6 | DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 2021 G. MAJOR MODIFICATIONS COMPLETED IN 2020 Water Main Projects • Winston and Salem Drives 4500’ water main replacement. (Town of Ithaca) • Catherwood Rd. 800’ water main replacement. (Village of Lansing) • Ludlowville bridge crossing 200’ water main replacement. (Town of Lansing) System Improvements • Oakcrest Booster Pump Station electrical upgrades. (Bolton Point) • Oakcrest Booster Pump Station pump #3 replacement. (Bolton Point) • Oakcrest Booster Pump Station roof replacement. (Bolton Point) Treatment Plant (Bolton Point) • Media replacement and filter box refurbishment for rapid sand filter #1. H.FUTURE PROJECTS AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS (Planned for 2021) Water Main Projects • Six Mile Creek crossing 200’ trans- mission main installation. (Bolton Point) • Cascadilla Creek crossing 220’ transmission main installation. (Bolton Point) • Peruville Road 2,300’ water main extension. (Town of Lansing) System Improvements • Installation of an emergency generator at the Oakcrest Booster Pump Station. (Bolton Point) • Replacement of pump soft starters at various pump stations. (Town of Ithaca) Treatment Plant (Bolton Point) • Media replacement and filter box refurbishment for rapid sand filters #1 and #3. K.WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES You can play a role in conserving water by becoming conscious of the amount of water your household is using and by looking for ways to use less when- ever you can. It is not hard to conserve water. The following are some ideas that you can apply directly in your own home. Use your water meter to detect hidden leaks. Turn off all taps and water us- ing appliances, then record the meter reading and check the meter after 15 minutes. If it registers, you have a leak. Restaurants in the U.S. serve approxi- mately 70 million meals a day. Every glass of water brought to your table requires another two glasses of water to wash and rinse the glass. Water your lawn only when it needs it. If you step on the grass and it springs back up when you move, it doesn’t need water. If it stays flat, it does. Put 10 drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak to repair. It is common to lose up to 100 gallons a day from a toilet leak. Fix it, and you save more than 30,000 gallons a year. Do not hose down your driveway or sidewalk. Use a broom to clean leaves and other debris from these areas. Using a hose to clean a driveway can waste hundreds of gallons of water. If every American home installed low- flow faucet aerators, the United States would save 250 million gallons of water a day. Fix leaks as soon as they are found. A dripping faucet with a 1/16 inch stream wastes 100 gallons of water per day. Saving water can lower your power bills by reducing your demand for hot or pumped water. These few simple steps will preserve the resource for future generations and also save up to 30% on your bill. I.SECURITY CONCERNS Generally, security threats to our water system have consisted of primarily minor vandalism and property damage. However, our security efforts focus to a high degree on the much less likely, but more serious, threat of intentional contamination of the water supply. We have performed security assessments of our entire system and updated our Emergency Response Plans to cover the possibility of terrorism. Weak- nesses in procedures have been cor- rected and improvements to increase the security of the infrastructure have been undertaken. Local police are aware of the security needs of the water systems and have maintained increased patrolling of the facilities. Your awareness and reporting of suspi- cious activity throughout the system is appreciated. The Bolton Point Water Supply Emergency Plan was updated and approved by the NYSDoH in 2018. J.SOURCE WATER PROTECTION The New York State Health Depart- ment is in the process of developing a Source Water Assessment Report for every surface drinking water source in the state. When the report for our source is completed, we will review it and provide a summary. If this report becomes available in 2021, a summary will be posted on our website and provided in next year’s Annual Drinking Water Quality Report. DRINKING WATER QUALITY REPORT 2021| PAGE 7 HIGH QUALITY DRINKING WATER FOR TOMPKINS COUNTY RESIDENTS CURRENT RESIDENT Water Trivia Resources • There are over 58,900 community water systems in the United States processing more than 34 bil- lion gallons per day. • The average residence in the United States uses 107,000 gallons of water a year. • It takes 62,600 gallons of water to produce one ton of steel. • Eighty percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water, but only one percent of the earth’s water is suitable for drinking. • It takes 101 gallons of water to make one pound of wool or cotton. • Water acts as a natural buffer against extreme or rapid changes in the earth’s temperature. • It would take 219 million gallons of water to cover one square mile with one foot of water. • One gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds. • When the weather is very cold outside, let the cold water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing. Web sites with more water information and activities for children: • www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water • www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/drinking-water-activities-students-and-teachers