Allentown Division

27 Pages·2016·0.55 MB·English

Allentown Division
PWSID: 3390024
Este informe contiene informacion muy importante sobre su agua
potable. Traduzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.
LCA Commitment to Safe Drinking Water
LCA is a public, nonprofit water and sewer utility dedicated to a single
mission – to provide continually improved, affordable, reliable and
sustainable services to our customers.
Continuous improvement comes from our ongoing participation in
programs and associations such as the Partnership for Safe Water
program, Lehigh Valley Water Suppliers, American Water Works
Association, the PA-DEP Source Water Protection Technical Assistance
Program and the Pennsylvania Association of Accredited Environmental
Laboratories. It also comes from our professional staff of water plant
operators, laboratory technicians, customer service personnel and
distribution system operators who provide the highest quality service
possible every single day.
This report contains detailed information about your water quality. As you
review this information, please feel free to contact LCA to ask questions
and learn more about our commitment to our customers. Thank you!
2
What’s inside this report?
 About Your Water System 4
 Why This Report Is Important! 5
 2021 Water Quality Test Results 6
 What does this report mean? 13
 Any violations in 2021? 14
 What’s NOT in your water? 15
 Other Important Information 16
 A Note From EPA 20
 Water Hardness, pH & Other Useful Info 22
 Protecting Your Drinking Water 24
 How to Reach LCA & Get Involved 26
3
About Your Water System
Service Area: All developed areas within the boundaries of
the City of Allentown.
Number of Customers: Approximately 33,475 residential and
commercial properties served, plus wholesale water service
provided to neighboring communities through long-term
supply contracts.
Water Supply: Approximately 22.0 million gallons per day is
drawn from the Allentown Division sources, including spring
sources – Crystal Spring & Schantz Spring – and surface
water sources – the Little Lehigh Creek & the Lehigh River.
Water Treatment: Water from all LCA sources is treated at a
full-scale water treatment and filtration plant located in
Allentown. Chlorine is the primary agent used to kill
bacteria, and fluoride is added to promote strong teeth.
4
Why this report is important!
The information contained in this report may be
especially important for some groups of people, such as
the elderly, people with compromised immune systems
and infants (see “A Note From EPA” on page 20). If you
are viewing this report, but the water LCA provides is
actually provided to tenants, patients, customers or
employees who use your property, please make a copy of
this report available to them as well. Thank you!
5
Water Quality Test Results
Abbreviations & Definitions
MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level. The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking
water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs (definition below) 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.
MinRDL: Minimum Residual Disinfectant Level. The minimum level of residual disinfectant required at
the entry point to the distribution system.
MaxRDL: 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 control of
microbial contaminants.
MaxRDLG: Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level Goal. The level of a drinking water disinfectant below
which there is no known or expected risk to health. MaxRDLGsdo not reflect the benefits of the
use of disinfectants to control microbial contamination.
AL: Action Level. The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other
requirements which a water system must follow.
TT: Treatment Technique. A required process intended to reduce the level of a contaminant in
drinking water.
mg/L: Milligrams per liter.
NTU: Nephelometric turbidity units (measure of water’s cloudiness)
pCi/L: Picocuries per liter (a measure of radiation).
ppm: Parts per million (equal to milligrams per liter).
ppb: Parts per billion.
ug/L: Micrograms per liter.
N/A: Not applicable.
ND: Not detected.
< or > < = Less than. > = Greater than. 6
Water Quality Test Results
Entry Point Disinfectant Residual
MCL
Contaminant MCLG LCA’s Water Range of LCA’s Sample Pass or
(Maximum Typical Source
Name (Goal) Test Results Test Results Date Fail?
Allowed)
MinRDL=
Not less Lowest Water additive
Chlorine (as Cl2)
than 0.40 for N/A Detected 0.35 – 1.18 2021 Pass used to kill
(ppm)
more than 4 Level = 0.35 bacteria
hours
7
Water Quality Test Results
Chemical Contaminants
MCL LCA’s Range of Pass
MCLG Sample
Contaminant Name (Maximum Water Test LCA’s Test or Typical Source
(Goal) Date
Allowed) Results Results Fail?
Chlorine (as Cl2) MaxRDL MaxRDLG Water additive used to kill
0.91 0.75 – 0.91 2021 Pass
(ppm) = 4 = 4 bacteria
29.4
Total Trihalomethanes (running By-product of water
80 N/A 10.4 – 34.6 2021 Pass
(ppb) annual chlorination
average)
16.1
HaloaceticAcids (running By-product of water
60 N/A 5.90 – 20.7 2021 Pass
(ppb) annual chlorination
average)
Barium (ppm) 2 2 0.052 0.031 – 0.052 2021 Pass Erosion of natural deposits
Erosion of natural deposits;
Chromium (ppb) 100 100 4.8 ND – 4.8 2021 Pass discharge from steel and pulp
mills
8
Water Quality Test Results
Chemical Contaminants (cont’d)
LCA’s
MCL Range of
MCLG Water Sample Pass or
Contaminant Name (Maximum LCA’s Test Typical Source
(Goal) Test Date Fail?
Allowed) Results
Results
Fertilizer runoff; Leaching
Nitrate (ppm) 10 10 5.0 3.2 – 5.0 2021 Pass
from septic tanks
Water additive which
Fluoride (ppm)* 2 2 0.64 0.48 – 0.64 2021 Pass
promotes strong teeth
Decay of asbestos cement
Asbestos (MFL) 7 7 0.17 ND – 0.17 2021 Pass water mains; Erosion of
natural deposits
Discharge from
Tetrachloroethylene
5 0 3.4 ND – 3.4 2021 Pass factories and dry
(ppb)
cleaners
* Fluoride: LCA adds fluoride to its drinking water as a requirement of the lease of the water system from the City of Allentown.
LCA’s water typically contains fluoride levels between 0.5 and 0.6 ppm to promote strong teeth. Test results shown above were a
result of specific monitoring completed to meet regulatory reporting requirements.
9
Water Quality Test Results
Lead & Copper Testing
MCL
MCLG LCA’s Water Range of LCA’s Sample Pass or
Contaminant Name (Maximum Typical Source
(Goal) Test Results Test Results Date Fail?
Allowed)
Corrosion of
All samples
Copper (ppm) AL = 1.3 1.3 0.157 2019 Pass household
were < AL
plumbing
1 out of 50 Corrosion of
Lead (ppb) AL = 15 0 6 samples 2019 Pass household
were > AL plumbing
10