2003 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report

for the Provincetown Water Department

 

 

The Provincetown Water Department is proud to provide you with the Year 2003 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report.  Our objective is to help keep you abreast of ongoing and upcoming water system pro­jects; local, state and federal drinking water regulations; and Provincetown’s annual water quality results.  The Provincetown Water Department is committed to supplying our customers with high-quality drink­ing water 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The Town of Prov­incetown Public Water System DEP identi­fication number is 4242000.

 

We apologize for the delay in filing this report, the deadline for which was July 1, 2004.  A copy of the annual report will be included with the spring water bills.

 

Customer Views and Questions

 

Please call the Water Department at 508-487-7064 with any questions, concerns, or problems regarding your water service (billing, water quality, meters, leaks, policies); or the water system (water main breaks, fire hydrants, up­coming activities).  Our staff of drinking water professionals are there to assist you:

 

Director of Public Works                 David F. Guertin

Deputy DPW Director                             Sandra M. Turner

Deputy Water Superintendent             Albert R. Robinson

DPW Admin Finance Coordinator     Dana L. Faris

 

The Water Department Office is open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. until 4 p.m.  Supplemental information about the Water Department including Rules and Regulations for water service can be found on our internet web site: www.provincetown-ma.gov.  This report is also available on the Town’s web site, at the Provincetown Public Li­brary, and at the Water Department offices.

 

The Provincetown Water Department is governed by the Provincetown Water & Sewer Board, which meets at the Grace Gouveia Building, 26 Alden Street in Provincetown. The public is invited.  You may contact the Water Department or check the Town’s web site for a meeting schedule.

 

In addition to these local resources, supplemental information about drinking water quality and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline:  800-426-4791.

 

Water System Information

 

The Provincetown Water Department supplies drinking water to the Town of Provincetown and several areas within the Town of Truro.  Provincetown’s water supply sources consist of three wellfields located in the Pamet Lens of the Cape Cod Aquifer.  The Pamet Lens extends from the north side of the Pamet River to Pilgrim Lake.  The primary source is the South Hollow Wellfield, which consists of eight individual wells.  Provincetown’s sec­ondary supply is the Knowles Crossing Wellfield that consists of two active wells.  During the summer peak sea­son (June 1 through October 1) the Town of Provincetown also uses two additional wells located at the former North Truro Air Force Base, which now lies within the boundaries of the Cape Cod National Seashore.  Province­town, Truro and the National Park Service own the land around the South Hollow Wellfield.  Provincetown owns the land surrounding the Knowles Crossing Wellfield.  The North Truro Air Force Base wells are within the boundary of the Cape Cod National Seashore.  Activities are restricted on the grounds surrounding the wellfields by the Town of Provincetown and by the Cape Cod National Seashore on lands adjacent to and surrounding the wellfields.

 

The groundwater pumped from these sources is treated at two chemical addition facilities.  The Paul D. Daley facility is located at the South Hollow Wellfield.  The other chemical addition facility is located at the Knowles Crossing Wellfield.  At these two facilities potassium hydroxide is used to increase the pH of the water to a target level of 7.5 for corrosion control.  Chlorine (sodium hypochlo­rite) is added for secondary disinfection as a means of protecting the water distri­bution system from microbiological contaminants. In addition, a polyphosphate sequesterant is used for the control of trace levels of iron and manganese. 

 

Treated water from the wellfields is pumped into the water distribution network by means of submersible pumps installed within each well.  Water is delivered to the Town of Province-town by means of 12-inch water transmis­sion mains traveling from South Hollow Road and along Shore Road in North Truro to the Provincetown town line.  The water distribution system is made up of approximately 38 miles of pipe of varying size between 16-inches and 6-inches in diameter. These pipes are made up of a mixture of ductile and cast iron, PVC, and A/C (asbestos-cement).  The water distribution system also includes three water storage tanks: the Mt. Gilboa tank in the east end of Provincetown which has a capacity of approxi­mately 2.7 million gallons; and the two Winslow Street tanks located adjacent to Veteran’s Memorial School, which have capacities of 1.1 million gallons and 3.8 million gallons, respectively.   Together these three water storage tanks provide water during peak hourly water demands and for fire protection. 

 

Projects and Activities

 

The Water Department continues to work hard to make improvements to the Province-town Water System.  During calendar year 2003 the Water Department completed several capital improvements, including structural and build­ing improvements to the Knowles Crossing Pump Station, site work, and an upgrade of the chemical feed facilities.  Together these improvements have enabled the Water Department to more effectively produce consistent high-quality drinking water for our customers.  Improve­ment projects planned and ongoing for calendar year 2004 include implementation of a radio-based water meter reading program, installation of new standby generators at the Paul D. Daley and Knowles Crossing pump stations, the evaluation of new water supply sources, the construction of additional features to the Town’s computer SCADA system, and the completion of a water system vulnerability assessment.  Once completed, these future projects will help ensure that our customers receive the highest quality water and reliable service.

 

Water Quality Summary

 

The Provincetown Water Department is committed to providing our customers with the highest quality drinking water that meets or exceeds state and federal drinking water standards for quality and safety.  Each year the Water Depart­ment conducts over 10,000 water quality tests, examining them for more than 120 potential drinking water contami­nants.  A summary of the most recent annual data for contami­nants with primary drinking water standards detected during the period January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003 is provided in the Table below.  All of the contaminants detected were below allowed levels.  Not listed are contaminants that were tested for but not detected.

 

Substance

(Contaminant)

Average

Level

Detected

 

Range

Detected

Highest Level

Allowed

(EPA’s MCL)

 

EPA’s Goal

(MCLG)

Source of

Contaminant

 

Alpha emitters (pCi/L)

1.5

1.5

15

0

 

Erosion of natural deposits

Chlorine (ppm)

0.42

0.0 – 0.99

 

MRDL= 4

 

MRDLG= 4

Water additive used to control microbes

Chromium (ppm)

0.01

0.0 – 0.02

0.1

0.1

Erosion of natural deposits; discharge from pulp mills

Copper (ppm)

40 Sites

0.88

(90%tile)

ND – 3.6

1 > A.L

A.L 1.3

in less than 10% of the samples taken

1.3

Corrosion of household plumbing; erosion of natural deposits; leaching from wood preservatives.

Lead (ppm)

40 Sites

0.006 (90%tile)

ND – 0.032

1 > A.L.

A.L. 0.015

in less than 10% of the samples taken

0

Corrosion of household plumbing; erosion of natural deposits

 

Nitrate (ppm)

 

0.6

 

ND – 0.8

 

10

 

10

Run-off from fertilizer; leaching from sep-tic tanks; sewage; erosion of natural deposits

Sodium (ppm)

42

23 - 60

NR

NR

Naturally present in the environment; run­off from the use of road salt, by-product of treatment process

Total THMs (ppb)

(Trihalomethanes)

2.0

1.0 – 5.3

80-120

running quarterly average of samples

0

By-product of water chlorination

Total Coliform Bacteria

(Present/Absent)

Absent

Absent  

< 5% of monthly samples can be positive

0

Naturally present in the environment

 

Special Information Concerning Lead -  Infants and young children are typically more vulnerable to lead in drinking water than the general population. It is possible that lead levels at your home may be higher than at other homes in the community as a result of materials used in your home’s plumbing. If you are concerned about elevated lead levels in your home’s water, you may wish to have your water tested. Flush your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using tap water to reduce lead content. Addi­tional information is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791.

 

Definitions

90th %tile   Out of every 10 homes, 9 were at or below this level

MCL    Maximum Contaminant Level: The highest level of a contaminant in drinking water.  MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology.

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.

MRDL   Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level: The highest level of a disinfectant allowed in drinking water.  There is convincing evidence that addition of a disinfectant is necessary for the control of microbiological contamination.

MRDLG   Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal: The level of a drinking water disinfectant which there is no known or expected risk to health.  MRDLGs do not reflect the benefits of the use of disinfectants to control microbial contami­nants.

PPM             One part per million.

PPB              One part per billion.

A.L.    Action Level: The concentration of a contaminant that, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements, which a water system must follow.

NR                Not regulated (currently there is no MCL for this compound).

N/A               Not applicable.

ND                Not detected.  Refers to the detection limit of the chemical analysis instrument or procedure.

Sodium   Although there is no MCL for sodium, the Office of Research & Standards Guideline is 20 ppm.

 

Public Health and Drinking Water

 

The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, reservoirs, streams, and wells.  As water travels over the land’s surface or through the ground, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals, and radioactive material, and can be polluted by animals or human activity.  Contam­inants that may be present in source water include: biological contaminants, such as viruses, protozoa, and bacteria: inorganic contaminants, such as metals and salts; pesticides and herbicides; organic chemi­cals from industrial or petroleum use; and radioactive materials.  In order to ensure that tap water is safe to drink, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations that limit the amount of certain contaminates in water provided by public water systems.  FDA regulations establish limits for contaminants in bottled water that must provide the same protection for public health.

 

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contamination.  The presence of contaminates does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.  More information about contaminates and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426- 4791).

 

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population.  Immuno-compromised individuals 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 contaminates are available from the EPA (Safe Drinking Water Hotline 800-426-4791; Web page http://www.epa.gov/safewater) or the Massachu­setts DEP (Southeast Regional office 508-946-2700; Web Page http//www.state.ma.us/dep).

 

 

Water Conservation

 

Fix Leaks – a little leak loses a lot.  Just a slow drip can add up to 15 or 20 gallons a day, while a 1/16-inch faucet leak can waste as much as 100 gallons in a day.  Worn washers cause most faucet leaks.  Household faucets should be checked monthly for drips or leaks.  If the drip does not stop once the faucet is firmly closed, replace the washers in the faucet.  Toilet leaks are also common.  If a toilet tank flapper valve hangs up, hundreds of gallons a day of water could be wasted.  Most toilet leaks are at the overflow pipe or at the flapper valve. The potential for unnoticed leaks can be deter­mined by observing your water meter.  When all water fixtures are off in the house, the small red tri­angular shaped low flow indicator dial on your water meter (between the 7 and 8, see photo to the right) should be stationary.  If it is not, either check your water fixtures yourself, or have a plumber check them for you.

 

Be Honest – at several locations in Town the Water Department has found unmetered water usage.  This unmetered usage causes the Town to be penalized in its annual reporting to DEP, and costs everyone money.  Please call the Water Department if you are aware of any unmetered water usage that should be corrected.