DRINKING WATER NOTICE
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
Pepper Ridge Park Has Levels of Disinfection Byproducts
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 routinely monitors for the presence of drinking water contaminants. Testing results we received in March 2007, June 2007, October 2007, and December 2007 show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL) for disinfection byproducts. The standard for the disinfection byproducts Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) and Haloacetic Acids 5 (HAA5) is 80 ug/L and 60 ug/L respectively. The average level of disinfection byproducts over the last year was TTHM 104.8 ug/L and HAA5 100.3 ug/L respectively.
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. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets drinking water standards and requires the disinfection of drinking water. However, when used in the treatment of drinking water, disinfectants react with naturally-occurring organic and inorganic matter present in water to form chemicals called disinfection byproducts (DBPs). EPA has determined that a number of DBPs are a health concern at certain levels of exposure. Certain DBPs, including some trihalomethanes (THMs) and some haloacetic acids (HAAs), have been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. Other DBPs have been shown to affect the liver and the nervous system, and cause reproductive or developmental effects in laboratory animals. Exposure to certain DBPs may produce similar effects in people. EPA has set standards to limit exposure to THMs, HAAs, and other DBPs.
What happened? What is being done?
Pepper Ridge Park receives all of its water from the Town of Selbyville. We will be working with the town to try to resolve this issue. We anticipate resolving the problem within sixty (60) days.
For more information, please contact Howard Pepper at (302) 732-3536 or Sharon Sheers, Environmental Health Specialist at (302) 741-8627.
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 Pepper Ridge Park.
Public Water System ID#: DE00A00761
Date Distributed: 01/10/08
