Dudley Water Department

2011 Consumer Awareness Report

Public Water Supply ID # 2080000

We are pleased to present the Dudley Water Department's annual report to our customers. The report provides our 2011 testing results, reminders about water conservation and source protection, and an overview of our efforts in 2011 to deliver high-quality drinking water to more than 8,000 people in the town. The Dudley Board of Water Commissioners meets the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Dudley Municipal Complex, 71 West Main Street, Room 305. Water Department meetings are open to the public. All are invited to attend. If you have an item to be brought before the Board, please call 508-949-8007 to be placed on the agenda.

Your Drinking Water Sources

The Town of Dudley’s water system includes three ground water supplies and pumping stations, two water storage tanks and 35 miles of water main. Presently 3 stations have backup generators to supply water to customers in the event of power loss. The three groundwater supplies consist of two gravel packed wells and one tubular well field. The two storage facilities hold a combined 1.5 million gallons of water for daily use, emergencies and fire protection. During 2011, the Water Department supplied approximately 173,000,000 gallons of water, with a daily average of approximately 476,000 gallons.

Station 1 - West Main Street tubular well field

Station 3 - Schofield Avenue gravel packed well

Station 6 - New Boston Road gravel packed well

Water Conservation

The Water Department encourages efficient use of water to ensure an adequate supply for the future. Good practices including using water efficient fixtures and appliances (toilets & showerheads), repairing leaky faucets and toilets, and watering lawns early in the morning or late in the evening when evaporation rates are the lowest. Reducing water use will also serve to reduce your water and sewer bills. Another excellent way to save water is through the practice of using “low water use plants” and limiting lawn size.

In 2002 we made great strides in our water conservation efforts by adopting a Water Use Restriction By-Law at the Spring Annual Town Meeting. The Board of Water Commissioners also amended the new service regulations, which prohibit the use of automatic irrigation systems. If you would like more information on water conservation, please call or visit the Water Department Office located at the Town Hall.

Contaminants and Health Risks

In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) prescribe regulations that limit the amount of certain substances, which EPA calls “contaminants” in water provided by public water systems. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that 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 contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.

Contaminants in Source Water

The sources of drinking water (both tap and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the land surface, or through the ground, it naturally dissolves minerals. In some cases, radioactive material can pick up other substances from the presence of animals or from human activity.

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 occurring or be the result of oil and gas production and mining.

Other Important Health Information

Lead: If present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. The Dudley Water Department 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 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.

Sodium: Sodium-sensitive individuals, such as those experiencing hypertension, kidney failure, or congestive heart failure, who drink water containing sodium should be aware of levels where exposures are being carefully controlled.

Immune-compromised Persons: Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immune-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 from their health care providers about drinking water. EPA/Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infections by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791.

Water Quality Monitoring

The Federal and State governments require regular testing of all public water supplies. Monitoring for bacteria is done several times a month. Tests for other contaminants are conducted less frequently, according to the sample schedule provided by MassDEP. The Town of Dudley Water Department complies with all these mandates to ensure the highest quality of drinking water possible.

Important Definitions – understanding this report

• 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.

· Action Level (AL): The concentration of a contaminant, which, if exceeded, triggers a treatment or other requirement which a water system must follow.

· 90th Percentile: The level that determines lead and copper compliance; 9 out of 10 homes were at or below this level.

· Units of Measurement:

• ppm - parts per million, or milligrams per liter (mg/l)
• ppb - parts per billion, or micrograms per liter (ug/l)
• ND - Not detected, the contaminant value measured was not above the detection level of the test method
• pCi/l – Picocuries per liter, a measurement of radioactivity

· Unregulated Contaminants: Contaminants for which EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining their occurrence in drinking water and whether further regulation is warranted.

· Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (SMCL): These standards are developed to protect the aesthetic qualities of drinking water and are not health based.

· Massachusetts Office of Research and Standards Guideline (ORSG): This is the concentration of a chemical in drinking water, at or below which, adverse non-cancer health effects are unlikely to occur after chronic (lifetime) exposure. If exceeded, it serves as an indicator of the potential need for further action.

2011 CCR Tables for

Dudley Water Department

The following test results were from water quality sampling performed during 2009 or during the most recent monitoring period for each contaminant group, as required by MassDEP. Only the detected contaminants are shown. The Dudley Water Department also tested for volatile organic contaminants and perchlorate in 2009. None of these substances were detected in your water.

Lead and Copper	Dates Collected	90^TH Percentile	Action Level (AL)	MCLG	Exceeds AL (Y/N)	# of Sites Sampled	# of Sites above AL	Possible Source of Contamination
Lead (ppb)	9/15/11	2	15	0	N	20	0	Corrosion of household plumbing systems
Copper (ppm)	9/15/11	0.37	1.3	0	N	20	0	Corrosion of household plumbing systems

Regulated Contaminants	Date Collected	Highest Detect	Range Detected	MCL	MCLG	Violation (Y/N)	Possible Source of Contamination
Inorganic Contaminants
Nitrate (ppm)	4/15//11	2.03	0.79-1.6	10	10	N	Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks; erosion of natural deposits
Barium (ppm)	4/6/09	0.021	0.011 - 0.021	2	2	N	Erosion of natural deposits

* Fluoride also has a secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) of 2 ppm

Unregulated and Secondary Contaminants	Date Collected	Highest Amount Detected	Average Detected	SMCL	ORSG	Possible Source
					--
Manganese (ppm)	11/7/11	ND	ND	ND	--	Erosion of natural deposits
Sulfate (ppm)	11/7/11	11.6	10.6	250	--	Natural sources
Sodium (ppm)	4/6/09	40	27.3	--	20	Natural sources; runoff from road salt

A Tier 2 Public Notice was conducted for a monthly total coliform MCL violation occurring in the month of September 2011.

Assessment Program (SWAP)

We are all concerned about the quality of the water we drink. Drinking water wells may be threatened by many potential

contaminant sources, including storm runoff, road salting, and improper disposal of hazardous materials. Dudley citizens and our local officials can work together to better protect our drinking water sources. The MassDEP has completed the Source Water Assessment and Protection (SWAP) report for the Dudley Water Department. The complete report is available at the Water Department or online at www.mass.gov/dep/water/drinking/2080000.pdf. The SWAP report contains important information on land uses and potential threats within the protected areas of our wells. Dudley’s susceptibility ranking was determined by MassDEP to be High, which means we need to be extra vigilant in monitoring or restricting activities that might contaminate our water supply.

The Zone I is the area closest to a well, ranging from 250 to 400 feet in radius for the Dudley wells. The Zone II is the zone of contribution for each well. Maps of Dudley’s Zone I and Zone II areas can be reviewed in the Water Department office. Dudley’s Groundwater Protection District By-Law is in place to ensure protection of these areas. The SWAP report also includes recommendations related to residential land uses, transportation corridors, hazardous materials storage and use, oil or hazardous material contamination sites, wastewater treatment plants, and wellhead protection planning. In particular, Dudley was advised to 1) inspect the Zone I(s) regularly and, when feasible, remove any non-water supply activities; 2) educate residents on ways they can help protect drinking water; 3) work with emergency response teams to ensure they are aware of the stormwater drainage in our Zone II(s) and to cooperate on responding to spills or accidents; 4) partner with local businesses to ensure the proper storage, handling, and disposal of hazardous materials; 5) monitor progress on any ongoing remedial action for known oil or contamination sites in the Zone II; and 6) develop and implement a wellhead protection plan.

The Dudley Water Department has been commended by MassDEP for taking an active role in promoting source protection measures in our Water Supply Protection areas. The SWAP information can be used to set priorities, target inspections, focus education efforts, and to develop a long-term drinking water source protection plan.

We can help protect these vital resources by continuing with public educational efforts with the schools, business community and general public. Citizens can also help protect our water supply by proper maintenance of septic systems. You can help by pumping out your septic system every two years and do not use septic system cleaners. Never dump hazardous substances down septic or storm drains. For additional information or to offer suggestions or ideas to generate public awareness, please call the Water Department office at 508-949-8007, the shop at 508-949-8038, or stop by the office at the Town Hall, 71 West Main St., Room 305.

Residential Cross Connection Protection

A cross connection is a connection between a drinking water pipe and a polluted source. The pollution can come from your own home. For instance, if you want to spray fertilizer on your lawn, you might hook up your hose to the sprayer that contains the fertilizer. If the water pressure drops (say because of fire hydrant use in the town) while the hose is connected to the fertilizer, the fertilizer may be sucked back into the drinking water pipes through the hose. Using an attachment on your hose called a backflow-prevention device can prevent this problem.

The Water Department recommends the installation of backflow-prevention devices, such as low-cost hose bib vacuum breakers, for all inside and outside hose connections. You can purchase them at a hardware store or plumbing supply store. This is a great way for you to help protect the water in your home as well as the drinking water system in our town. For additional information on cross connections and on the status of Dudley's cross connection program, please call us.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this report or if you'd like additional copies, please contact Administrative Assistant, Laureen Menard by calling 508-949-8007 or by email watersewer@dudleyma.gov, or Water Superintendent, John Meehan at the shop 508-949-8038. After hours: If this is an emergency please contact the Dudley Police Department at 508-943-4411.