2010 Water Quality Report

SNEW serves South Norwalk, Rowayton, portions of Silvermine, East Norwalk, West Norwalk and Wilton

This “2010 Water Quality Report”, or Consumer Confidence Report, states where your water comes from, how it is treated and monitored, what it contains and how it compares to standards set by regulatory agencies.  South Norwalk Electric and Water (SNEW) performs over 30,000 analyses annually on about 3,500 samples while looking for more than 90 possible contaminants.  Nearly all analyses are conducted by SNEW’s state certified public health laboratory, number PH-0461.

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.

 SOURCES OF YOUR DRINKING WATER

Your drinking water is surface water that comes from four reservoirs located in the Towns of Wilton and New Canaan.  They include City Lake, Rock Lake and Popes Pond Reservoirs in Wilton and the New Canaan Reservoir in New Canaan.  The watershed area totals 6,300 acres in these towns, with SNEW owning about 19%.  We have an excellent watershed protection program which includes property inspections and water quality sampling to safeguard our sources from pollution and to insure that we maintain the highest quality water in these reservoirs. 

A source water assessment of our supply system was completed by the Department of Public Health Drinking Water Section.  The assessment found that our public drinking water source has a low susceptibility to potential sources of contamination.   The assessment report can be found on the CT DPH website: http://www.dir.ct.gov/dph/Water/SWAP/Community/CT1030021.pdf

Our customers can play an important role in helping to preserve this most important natural resource in two ways, source protection and conservation.  Inspecting septic systems on a regular basis and promptly repairing any problems, using fertilizers sparingly and carefully following manufacturer’s directions, replacing leaky oil tanks, disposing of hazardous household materials properly and reporting any incidences of pollution are ways customers can help to protect the source.  Practicing conservation will help to maintain an adequate supply of clean drinking water.  Reporting any outside leaks, promptly fixing toilet leaks and leaking fixtures, turning off the faucet when shaving and brushing teeth, running dishwashers and washing machines with full loads, watering lawns and plants during early morning or evening, and keeping sprinklers on the lawn, not the pavement are ways you can conserve water and save money on your water bill too.

 WATER TREATMENT PROCESS

Water from SNEW reservoirs undergoes rigorous treatment at our Filtration Plant in Wilton.  The treatment process includes raw water coarse and fine screens, alum coagulation with rapid mixing and flocculation, membrane filtration by an immersed membrane ultrafiltration process and granular activated carbon filters for taste and odor control.  The treatment process also includes an automated control and data acquisition system as well as chemical delivery, storage and pumping systems.  The treatment process removes contaminants and helps SNEW maintain compliance with current and anticipated EPA regulations.  A disinfectant is added to protect against microbial contaminants and fluoride is added to aid in dental health.  We serve about 42,000 people and treat approximately 5.0 million gallons of water per day, which is distributed through a network of 135 miles of pipeline.

 WATER QUALITY MONITORING

To insure the purity of the water supplied to you, we undertake an elaborate water sample collection and testing program.  Our source water monitoring serves as an early warning system for potential pollution of our reservoirs.  The water then goes through our filtration facility and is tested continuously at various stages to monitor the performance of the treatment processes.  Finally, we collect samples from the distribution system, as well as at taps of individual customers, to ensure the quality of the water you drink.

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 contacting the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or hotline-sdwa@epa.gov.

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 and 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 by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban storm runoff, and septic systems.

Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally-occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining activities.

 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.  Food and Drug Administration regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water which must provide the same protection for public health.

 IMPORTANT INFORMATION

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 microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791 or hotline-sdwa@epa.gov.

* Although there is no EPA MCL for Sodium, the State of CT requires that systems exceeding 28 ppm must notify their customers, so that individuals on a sodium restricted diet can inform their physician.

There is no State or EPA MCL for Sulfate, although the State of CT requires monitoring.  Sulfate was detected in the range of 12.8 ppm to 23.4 ppm.

The Hardness of your water ranged from 38 ppm to 50 ppm as CaCO₃.  A level exceeding 120 ppm is considered hard water.  No MCL for Hardness.

SNEW sampled for a series of unregulated contaminants with none detected.  See the For More Information section if you wish to review the results.

 Definitions:

 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 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.

Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU): A measure of the cloudiness of water.  We monitor turbidity because it is a good indicator of the effectiveness of our filtration system.

Treatment Technique (TT): A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in drinking water.

ppm: Parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/L).

ppb: Parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (mg/L).

 Lead and Copper Statement:  If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead and copper in drinking water are primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. SNEW 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 and copper 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 at 1-800-426-4791 or at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

For More Information:

 En Español: Este informe contiene información muy importante sobre su agua de beber. Tradúzcalo ó hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

 The Board of the District Commissioners’ regular meeting is held on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month at 1 State Street in Norwalk, CT.

For more information about your drinking water, call our Water Operations Department at 203-762-7884 ext. 4302, or the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Drinking Water Section at 860-509-7333, or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791, the EPA’s web site at www.epa.gov/safewater.