DRINKING WATER NOTICE
INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Bethany Beach Water System Has Levels of
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) Above Drinking Water Standards
Our water system recently violated a drinking water standard. Although this is not an emergency, as our customers, you have a right to know what happened, what you should do and what we are doing to correct this situation.
The Division of Public Health and the Bethany Beach Water Department routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results received on October 25, 2005 show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for TTHMs. The standard for TTHMs is 80 ppb (parts per billion). The average level of TTHMs over the last year was 89.5 ppb.
What should I do?
- You do not need to use an alternative (e.g., bottled) water supply. However, if you have specific health concerns, consult your doctor.
What does this mean?
This is not an immediate risk. If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing trihalomethanes in excess of the MCL over many years may experience problems with their liver, kidneys or central nervous systems and may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
What happened? What is being done?
We have disinfection by-product precursors in our source water. We have changed the disinfectant that we use from chlorine to chloramines and made other changes in our water treatment plant. We anticipate resolving the problem within 3 months.
For more information, please contact Bethany Beach Town Hall at (302) 539-8011 or Anita Beckel, Environmental Health Specialist at (302) 741-8630.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
This notice is being sent to you by Bethany Beach Water System.
State Water System ID#: DE0000556
Date Distributed: 10/31/05
