DRINKING WATER NOTICE

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Selbyville Water Dept. Has Levels of Disinfection By-Products
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. Samples collected in September and November 2008, March and June 2009 show that our system exceeds the standard, or maximum contaminant level (MCL), for a Disinfection By-Product. The standard for the Disinfection By-Product Total Trihalomethanes (TTHM) is 80 ug/L.

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 by-products (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 DBPs.

What happened? What is being done?

Selbyville is investigating changes to our disinfection practices that will be designed to lower the disinfection byproduct forming potential of the water. We anticipate resolving this problem within six months.

For more information, please contact Robert Dickerson at (302) 436-8314 or Sharon Scheers, Environmental Health Specialist with the Office of Drinking Water 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 Selbyville Water Department.

Public Water System ID#: DE00000654

Date Distributed: 08/27/09