Mt. Pleasant Investigating Elevated Chemical Readings in Water
By Sean Browne
A rise in the haloacetic acid levels in two of Mount Pleasant’s five water systems has prompted town officials to hire a consultant to recommend treatment measures.
A pair of Feb. 27 memos released by the town stated that the haloacetic acid levels at the Kensico and Pocantico water districts averaged above the state and federal limits of 60 parts per billion (ppb) during the past year.
At Kensico, quarterly samples taken last year on Feb. 13, May 8, Aug. 8 and Nov. 8 revealed concentrations of 54.2, 70.0, 80.2 and 67.8 ppb, respectively, and averaged 68.1 ppb for 2018.
Results from the quarterly samples taken at two different locations within the Pocantico distributions system, the water storage tank and at 200 Lake Rd., showed even more significant increases. At the water storage tank, samples taken last Feb. 16, May 10, Aug. 10 and Nov. 14 registered 35.9, 55.1, 112.1 and 130.0 ppb, respectively, for an 83.3 ppb average for last year.
At Lake Road, the total haloacetic acid concentration on those same dates were 32.8, 43.8, 66.1 and 128.5 ppb, respectively, a 67.8 ppb average for the year.
Haloacetic acids are a group of chemicals that form when chlorine or other disinfectants used to control microbial contaminants in drinking water react with naturally occurring organic and inorganic matter in the water, according to the county Health Department.
The town has retained Woodward & Curran Consultants, a clean water infrastructure and environmental consulting firm, to find a cause for the elevated levels and to study the two districts’ infrastructure. The consultant hopes to determine if new treatment measures can be implemented to reduce the level of disinfected byproducts. The study’s results are expected to be completed by June 1.
Thornwood resident Nicole Celentano questioned why this problem only appears to be occurring in Mount Pleasant. She is also concerned for her children.
“My son is going to want to refill his water bottle when he is at school, so have the school’s water been tested?” Celentano said. “If not, then they need to be tested.”
The town memos stated there is no need to boil water or take other corrective actions. If the water is no longer safe to drink, residents will be notified within 24 hours, it stated.
Supervisor Carl Fulgenzi said residents shouldn’t fear showering or using the water. While the cause of the spike remains uncertain, Fulgenzi wondered whether heavy rains may have had an effect.
Potential causes of elevated haloacetic levels include an increase in organic matter concentration in the source water, an increase in the amount of time that the chlorine and organic matter remain in contact with each other due to a reduction in water use or an increase in the drinking water temperature in the affected areas, a county Health Department spokesperson said.
The town has removed any natural biological material within the water systems which could contribute to the forming of disinfection byproducts. Samples are currently being tested for levels of disinfection byproducts. Test results are expected imminently.
The board agreed to contact all schools in its jurisdiction to recommend that water be tested.
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