The Topsfield Water Department (PWS ID#: 3298000) is committed to providing our customers with high quality drinking water that meets or surpasses state and federal standards for quality and safety. To ensure delivery of a quality product, we have made significant investments in treatment facilities, water quality monitoring, and the distribution system. We are pleased to report the results of our calendar year 2005 water testing to inform you about your drinking water. Each year, we will be mailing you information about water quality.
Our water system is supplied by two groundwater wellfields and pumping stations. The system has two water storage tanks and approximately 50 miles of water main piping.
Want to know more about Topsfield's water supply system or interested in participating in the decision making process? Please call Bill Wood, Superintendent, at the Topsfield Water Department at (978) 887-1518 with any questions, comments, or concerns. We are located ath the Public Works Facility, 279 Boston Street. You can also e-mail us at water@topsfieldpw.org. We encourage all customers to attend and participate in the Board of Water Commissioners' meetings which occur the 2nd Wednesday of every month at the Public Works Building.
Listed below are the 11 contaminants detected in Topsfield's drinking water in 2005. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that the water poses a health risk. Not listed are over 100 other contaminants for which we tested but were not detected.
| Samples Collected
from Our Wellfields |
||||||
| Substance |
Units |
Highest
Level Detected |
Range
Detected |
Highest Level Allowed (EPA's MCL) |
Ideal
Goals (EPA's MCLG) |
Sources of Contaminant |
| Inorganic Chemicals |
||||||
| Arsenic (1) | ppb |
3 |
2-3 |
10 |
- |
Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards; runoff from glass and electronics production wastes |
| Barium (1) | ppm |
0.044 |
0.036 - 0.044 |
2 |
2 |
Erosion of natural deposits; runoff from orchards |
| Nitrate | ppm |
2.04 |
1.95-2.04 |
10 |
10 |
Runoff from fertilizer use; leaching from septic tanks; erosion of natural deposits |
| Sodium (2,3) | ppm |
25.9 |
24.4-25.9 |
UR |
UR |
Naturally present in the environment |
| Sulfate (2,4) | ppm |
16.5 |
13.8-16.5 |
UR |
UR |
Naturally present in the environment |
| Microbiology |
||||||
| Turbidity (5) | NTU | 0.51 |
0.46-0.51 |
5 |
0 |
Soil runoff; suspendend material in water |
| Radionuclides |
||||||
| Combined Radium | pCi/L | 0.4 |
- |
5 |
0 |
Erosion of natural deposits |
| Samples
Collected from Your Faucets |
||||||
| Substance |
Units |
Highest Level
Detected |
Range Detected |
Highest Level
Allowed |
Ideal Goals |
Sources of
Contaminant |
| Inorganic
Chemicals |
||||||
| Fluoride | ppm |
1.34 |
0.70-1.34 |
4 (MRDL) |
4 (MRDLG) |
Water additive which promotes strong teeth |
| Microbiology |
||||||
| Total Coliform Bacteria | 1 |
ND - 1 |
1 |
0 |
Naturally present in the environment | |
| Lead and Copper
Home Tap Water Samples |
||||||
| Substance |
Units |
90th Percentile |
Range Detected |
Action Level
(EPA's MCL) |
Ideal Goals (EPA's
MCLG) |
Sources of
Contaminant |
| Copper - (0 samples exceeded action level) |
ppm |
0.26 |
0.09-0.39 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
Corrosion of household plumbing systems; erosion of natural deposits |
| Lead- (1 samples exceeded the action level) | ppb |
11 |
2-16 |
15 |
0 |
Corrosion of household plumbing materials |
| Definitions | |
| Maximum Contaiminant Level (MCL) - The highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in the drinking water. MCLs are set as close to the MCLGs as feasible using the best available treatment technology. | |
| Maximimum 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 - The concentration of a contaminant which, if exceeded, triggers treatment or other requirements which a water system must follow | |
| ppm - One part contaminant per million parts of water | ND - Substance not detected in the sample |
| ppb - One part contaminant per billion parts water | UR - Unregulated |
| pCi/L - Picocuries per liter is a measure of the radioactivity of the water | NTU - Nephelometric Turbidity Units, a measure of the suspended material in water. |
| Notes: | |
| 1. The state allows us to moinitor for some contaminants less than once per year because the concentrations of these contaminants do not change frequently. Some of our data, though representative, are more than one year old. Inorganic samples for the North Street Wellfield were collected in 2000. | |
| 2. Unregulated contaminants are those for which the EPA has not established drinking water standards. The purpose of unregulated contaminant monitoring is to assist EPA in determining their occurence in drinking water and whether future regulation is warranted. | |
| 3. The Massachusetts Office of Research and Standards has set a guideline concentration of 20 ppm for sodium. | |
| 4. Massachusetts has set a secondary maximum contaminant level of 250 ppm for sulfate. This level was established to protect the aesthetic quality of drinking water and is not health based. | |
| 5. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water. We monitor it because it is a good indicator of water quality. High turbidity can hinder the effectiveness of the disinfectants. Turbidity samples were collected in November 1997. | |
In order to meet state and federal requirements for public drinking water, our source water receives treatment before it is supplied to our customers. We treat our water for corrosion control and disinfection. The pH of the water is raised with potassium hydroxide to reduce it corrosivity in household plumbing. Chlorine is added to disinfect the water. In addition, fluoride is added to the water to promote strong, healthy teeth.
Some people may be more vunerable 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 particulary at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guildines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791).
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 might be expected in untreated water include: microbial contaminants such as viruses and bacteria that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations and wildlife; pesticides and herbicides that may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses; inorganic contaminants such as salts and metals that can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining or farming; organic chemical contaminants including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals that are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, and septic systems; radioactive contaminants that 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, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prescribes regulations, which limit the amount of certain contaminants in water provided by public water systems.
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 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 (800-426-4791).
The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has prepared a Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) Report for our water supply sources. The SWAP report assesses the susceptibility of public water supplies. A copy of the SWAP report is available at the Public Works Facility. Our SWAP report has indicated that our groundwater is highly susceptible to contamination from residential activities adjacent to the wells; residential land uses; accidental spills from local roadways and Route 1; hazardous materials storage; existing contamination sites; auto repair shops and service stations; cemeteries; and agricultural activities.
As a consumer, you have an impact on the quality of our water supply sources, and therefore, the quality of the water you drink. The land around our groundwater wells is mainly forested and residential with lesser amounts zoned commercial. When rain falls or snow melts, the seemingly small amounts of chemicals and other pollutants around your property may be transferred by groundwater or overland flows to the wells.
We are required to monitor your drinking water for specific contaminants on a regular basis. Results of regular monitoring are an indicator of whether or not you drinking water meets health standards. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regularly checks our system's compliance with state and federal regulations and has issued two Notices of Noncompliance (NON). The Water Department received the following notices for teh calendar year 2005-2006.
1. During 2005 we did not complete all monitoring or testing for lead and copper, and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of your drinking water during that time. The Topsfield Water Department failed to perform a full first round of lead and copper monitoring for the distribution system in 2005 and failed to notify the public of the failure. The Water Department did collect samples, but they were insufficient in number and some were taken after the monitoring deadline. As a result, the Water Department signed an Administrative Consent Order (ACO) that requires a new sampling plan be prepared and submitted for approval as well as two full rounds of sampling in 2006.
2. The Water Department failed to perform cross connection surveys in accordance with its approved Cross Connection Control Plan. We are currently preparing a contract with an outside vendor to complete the surveys.