Municipal Authority of the Borough of Oakmont
2010 WATER QUALITY REPORT
Public Water System I.D. #5020036
Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su aqua de beber. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien. (This report contains very important information about your drinking water. Translate it, or speak to someone who understands it.)
This Water Quality Report includes monitoring data results from 2009 detailing the quality of water we furnished to you, our customers.
The sources of drinking water (both 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 dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animals or from human activity. The source for all our water is surface water taken from the Allegheny River with an intake upstream of the Hulton Bridge.
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 storm water 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 storm water runoff, and residential uses.
- Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm water runoff, and septic systems.
- Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.
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 regarding appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).
The task of the Authority is to remove these contaminants or reduce them to levels that meet or are better than all health standards established by Federal and State regulators.
The Authority routinely monitors for constituents in your drinking water according to federal and state laws. The table shows the results of our monitoring for the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2010. Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some constituents. The presence of these constituents does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.
In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems. Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.
Lead in drinking water is primary from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Oakmont Water Authority is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but it 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 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.
Cryptosporidium is a microbial pathogen found in surface waters throughout United States. Although treatment plant filtration removes Cryptosporidium, the most commonly used filtration methods cannot guarantee 100% removal. Ingestion of Cryptosporidium may cause cryptospordiosis, and abdominal infection. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. Most healthy individuals can overcome the disease within a few weeks.
The USEPA has required all surface water utilities to monitor their untreated water over a two-year period for the presence of Cryptosporidium. Unfortunately, the currently available test methods do not allow us to determine if the organisms are alive or capable of causing disease. Our testing indicated the presence of very low numbers of Cryptosporidium and several of our 24 monthly Allegheny River source water samples.
For more information regarding contaminants and potential health effects, contact the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791 or the EPA website http://www.epa.gov/safewater/hfacts.htm).
Since 2002, the Authority has maintained the prestigious Director's Award status under the Partnership for Safe Water Program. The award honors water utilities for achieving operational excellence by voluntarily optimizing treatment plant performance and adopting more stringent performance goals than what is required by federal and state drinking water standards.
A Source Water Assessment of the Allegheny River intake which supplies water to the Hulton Purification Plant was completed by the DEP and Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) in 2002. The report contains information of potential sources of contamination which include waste water treatment plants, storm water run off, accidental industrial discharges, and transportation spills related to railroad, highway and barge traffic. The most serious source of contamination would be a release from a ruptured petroleum pipeline. A detailed report of the Assessment is available for review at the ACHD office (412-578-8047).
In 2003, the Authority introduced Chloramines to the treatment process as a primary disinfectant to reduce the formation of Trihalomethanes. Chloramine disinfection is utilized in the late spring and summer months. Chloramines must be removed from water prior to dialysis treatment and from water used in aquariums and fish ponds. Chloramines are removed by use of a high-quality granular-activated carbon filter or dechlorinating agent.
In May 2004 we took an extra step in protecting the health of our customers by adding an Ultraviolet Disinfection System to our treatment process.
UV Disinfection is used for inactivating chlorine-resistant pathogens: such as cryptosporidium and giardia.
If you have any questions concerning this report, please contact our Laboratory Manager at (412) 828-3388. Our regularly scheduled meetings of the Board of Governors are held on the third Monday of each month, 7:00 p.m., at 721 Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont.
2 0 1 0 T E S T R E S U L T S
Y/NFor systems that collect < 40 samples/month:
• 1 positive monthly sampleFor systems that collect > 40 samples/month:
• 5% of monthly samples
are positive
present in the environment
of monthly samples < 0.3 NTU
Lead and Copper Rule
(AL)
Y/N
Inorganic Chemical
Disinfection By-Products
Disinfectant Residuals
Avg Range
By-product Precursors, / Total Organic Carbon
Unregulated contaminants are those for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in the determining the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in drinking water and weather future regulation is warranted. None of these contaminants were detected in no pot water Authority's drinking water.
Footnotes: * EPA's MCL for Fluoride is 4 ppm, however, Pennsylvania has set a lower MCL of 2ppm to better protect human health.
* Lead & Coper sample period 6/2010 - 9/2010. We had no detection levels for total coliform bacteria, volatile organics, synthetic organics,
or radiologicals. Turbidity is a measurement of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor turbidity because it is a good indicator of the
effectiveness of our filtration system.
DEFINITIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS::Action Level (AL) -- The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow.
Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) -- 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 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.
Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level (MRDL) -- The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water. There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for control of microbial contaminants.
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 the use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
N/A -- Not applicable.
ppb -- Parts per billion or micrograms per liter (ug/L)
ppm -- Parts per million or milligrams per liter (mg/L)
Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU) -- A measure of the clarity of water and indicator of filter performance. Turbidity in excess of 5 NTU is just noticeable to the average person.
Treatment Technique (TT) -- A required process intended to reduce the level of contaminant in drinking water.